Sidney from Honduras

Wow!!!!!! This week has been one of the best weeks of my life. Nothing we can say will ever fully explain what we experienced this week. Watching how everyone on the team just fell into place was truly a blessing. Everyone seemed to plant their own spiritual seed in their own special way. I think the hardest part about this week was experiencing the poverty that the Chorti live in. We live life totally different than these special people. They truly have to work for everything that they have. I don't mean clothes, cars, and toys, but food for their families. Sick or not the men, women, and children all do their parts to make the village work.

I am very proud to have experienced watching how our young daughter began to grow and plant her own spiritual seed. Watching her all week makes me realize that God has truly been working in our lives. Years past I would have been planning a fishing or hunting trip, but no trip that I have been on has given me the fulfillment that I got watching our daughter grow spiritually this week. I Love You Baylee, you're the best daughter anyone could have!

Aine was definitely in her element this week. God has definitely given her a gift for working with all people, but especially young people. I would have had a hard time without her beside me this week. She was truly another bright light in the darkness this week. I Love You Aine!

I would love to thank the church for supporting us this week, I Love You All!

Mark from Honduras

It's been a great week. It was over a year ago that my family first began praying and planning to come to Honduras. We know now that God planned all along for us to be here this week with this team. We have been blessed beyond measure by the hospitality we've been shown. We have felt very welcome everywhere we've been. The Hondurans are a very gracious and appreciative people.

Each day was different, but was just what God planned. We told stories, played games, shared our testimonies, sang (English & Spanish), and made crafts. It was awesome to watch each team member's gifts reveal themselves throughout the week.

In many ways the Hondurans are very different than us. The most obvious is the extreme poverty in which they live. It makes me both grateful and embarrassed to have so many material possessions. I realized early in the week that we work to get more "stuff" while they work to survive and feed their families. They were so appreciative of every little thing we did for them. Another difference I noticed is the passion in which they worship. They are uninhibited in their prayers, singing and in the way they share their faith. As the week went on I realized we were also alike in some ways. In many of the villages the people were very interested as we sang and told stories, but later I realized they were very religious, but were lacking a relationship with Christ. Sadly, this reminded me of myself at times and of many of the worship services we have in the States. We have become very comfortable with what we know "about" Jesus and often neglect "knowing" Him. This week has made me desire to deepen my relationship with Him and to be more open and bold in sharing my faith with others.

I want to thank our church for supporting us both financially and in prayer during this week. It has truly been a blessing.

Trisha from Honduras

There are so many things I want to say and I know I'll forget half of it. My thoughts are coming faster than my hands can type! God has blessed us in so many ways! He has allowed me the awesome experience of working side by side with my husband and daughters to share His love to villages that don't see much love. I think these people are so busy trying to survive that they are sometimes unaware of the beauty surrounding them.

What I have noticed is that each age group has a different outlook. The young children are still so full of innocence. The older children maintain some of the innocence while beginning to realize the harshness of everyday life. The adults seem to have become resigned to the fact that life will always be hard for them, and the much older generation have a sense of pride that they have survived far longer than most. All of them, however are sweet spirited and eager to share what they have. The "outsiders" from America were welcomed with enthusiasm. They were as eager to share Christ's love as we were. Those that did not know Christ welcomed us anyway.

I believe there were places where we planted, places where we sowed, places we harvested, and still other places where we just broke ground. But in every place Christ was present. We must continue to pray for these people. Satan will not take lightly the work that has been done here this summer. The missionaries here have a never-ending task to just maintain the work that has been done.

I am so thankful God allowed me the opportunity to experience His work in this way. As I told Kameran one day this week...I will never be the same after this experience! It is hard for me to believe that a week ago I had never met some of the people we worked with, and now my heart is heavy at the thought of saying good-bye. It isn't really good-bye though, but merely "See you later!"

We love you, our Honduran friends!

Kameran from Honduras

Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.

First off, I would like to say thank you for all of the prayers that were sent our way! We could all definitely feel God's presence all around us.

This trip has been extremely eye opening! You will see these pictures and think of many different things, but I just have to let you know that these pictures don't truly capture the essence of reality that we experienced.

These children are so precious. They are able to find the best in anything and everything. They take nothing for granted, and even though they do not have much, they don't mind giving up a belonging of theirs. These children taught me to be thankful for even the littlest things. They can run under a parachute for hours and laugh and smile the entire time. The children are so loving, and their compassion and hospitality was overwhelming.

I honestly was not excited for this trip at all. I was scared beyond belief, and Satan got the best of me, but as soon as we went into the first village and those children ran to greet us with open arms, all my fears were washed away.

The families were so willing to participate after a while, and we discovered their love for music. We taught them "Sanctuario", or Sanctuary, in Spanish. That was obviously their favorite song. Just hearing the villagers sing this song at the top of their lungs made my heart swell.

This trip has changed each and every one of our lives, and we will never be the same again. The passion these people have for God is unbelievable! The villagers will literally walk for hours just to come together and worship. If half of us had that passion, our entire world could change.

This trip was truly a blessing in disguise, and I am so glad that I got to experience this blessing. God bless yall! Can't wait to share all of our stories!

Kameran

Jaclyn from Honduras

This week has touched me in so many ways! It was a great experience. Even though we share with y'all all these inspiring stories, you can never fully comprehend it until you come for yourself. One day in the village a little boy got his finger slammed in the door. It was cut about three different ways practically hanging by a little bit of skin. It was wrapped in a paper towel and you could see the blood coming through. Since they had no nurse that was all they could do for him. Audrey got her first aid kit and went to work but there wasn't much she could do. He needed stitches badly. So since it was already time to leave we had him and his father come in the van with us so we could take them to the Hospital. He sat beside me in the car just crying his eyes out. He looked at me and I took off my Hippo "Silly band" and lay it out on the seat so he could see the shape. Then I picked it up and put it on his little arm. He immediately smiled at me. It was such a touching moment. I will be sure to take this with me all my life. We dropped them off at the Hospital and he got his stitches. We don't understand how lucky we are. If it would have happened to us we have a nurse at our school to take care of us. We have hospitals, doctors, etc. He almost didn't get stitches. He almost had to suffer and get his finger infected. If we would have gone the day before the incident imagine what would have happened. Imagine how many people's lives are lost because they don't have the medical things they need there. We are so privileged we don't even realize we are privileged. Anyways today at the village I got the opportunity to hold a 2 month old baby. He was the most precious thing. His mom looked pretty young. Growing up we all had toys, we all had t.v.'s, we all had clean healthy homes. That poor baby had none of that. None of those kids do. It makes you realize how we take things for granted. Whenever those kids would sing those songs about Jesus it just made your heart melt. Even though they don't have near what we have they praise the Lord as if they do. We should thank God for letting us have what we do. Even though everything here is temporary we are blessed. When they had church they HAD church. They praised and worshiped and sang to the LORD. It was nice to see that. I am hoping that someday we can get many from our church to come down here and experience this. I know I definitely want to come again. Thank you for all the prayers. I felt them working.

Jaclyn(:

Jase - Honduras Team 2

What a week! It has been awesome to watch and see how God has used this team and to see how each person used gifts that they have been given in such incredible ways. Team 2 was used to try something new that Billy and Mary and I had been working toward and praying about for several years...working directly with the youth within the villages. In the Chorti culture the youth are often skipped over. It has been a prayer of ours that the youth could be a focal point of learning to share the gospel.
Team 2 was able to begin this process. There are several things that worked well and some that did not, things that we were ready for and some that required flexibility, but in the end the youth did learn more about Christ.
Thank you, Team Two, for all of your work and flexibility! There is no question that God has a plan for FBC Seminole and the Chorti People in the future!!!!!!

In His Grip,
Jase

Aine from Honduras

Where do I begin??? I have been blessed to have met all the people that have led us this week. I cannot put into words how this has touched me. I will forever remember this experience! I am already looking forward to coming back (yes, I'm coming back)!! This country is so beautiful!! I have seen so many awesome screen savers in real life!!! God was at work this week and it was truly amazing to see. I have been brought to tears on several occasions, playing with the children, hearing the youth sing, and praying with the elderly. It is amazing to hear the people pray! They shout it out for God and everybody to hear. They pray and sing with everything in their heart. They are hard working people and you can't help but want to help them. The elderly and the children have captured my heart. I want to bring them all home. Each village was different and each with a differant blessing. I could see God at work in them and us! I didn't know I could speak that much Spanish!! I know God was with me when I spoke because it didn't feel labored. The language flowed out of me (ok, with just a few mistakes)!!! I know with all my heart that I was supposed to be here on this very minute, hour, day, and week. I want to thank everyone at home for sending us and for all the prayers. I can't wait to see everyone, show pics, and tell everyone all about it.

Baylee from Honduras

First thing I'm going to say is that we are so very blessed!! Honduras was a very eye opening experience. We touched many lives at the villages, and it also touched my life as well. While we were at the 2nd village a girl just looked at me and I smiled and she comes running and screaming and I picked her up and she wouldn't let go of my shirt. She was the cutest little girl and it meant so much to her that we were there. The kids and adults had fun making crafts, singing, and games. It really meant a lot that we were there. When my parents first told me that we were going to Honduras i was like no!! but that was God's plan and was a perfect trip just like God planned. I met so many new people and they are all blessings in my life!!

Baylee

Thanks for all the prayers!!(:

Honduras Team 2 - Day Seven

Wow! It's so hard to believe we are coming to the end of our time here in Honduras! We have experienced so many things! We head home tomorrow, and while we are in the Houston airport on our layover the team is going to each post something.

Today we went to Buena Vista village.

When we first got there a woman came up and hugged us all. She welcomed us to her village. Another woman let us in her house to take pictures and pray for her. We have NO IDEA how these people live. I don't know of anyone who would be able to survive in those conditions, and these people know no other way.

The school was a little more "modernized" than the other villages. The students wore uniforms to school and loved entertaining us! We acted out a Bible Story while Kameran narrated and Marcia translated. The students loved it. Then we had others who explained what the story meant and asked the students questions.

Later we got out the jump rope, parachute, and balloons. They loved it! When Sidney got out his guitar they listened to our songs, but they entertained us more than we sang for them. They could have done that all day long. They sang several songs and then some of the students danced for us.

We met a young man named Hector. He had a lot of the same mannerisms as Jacob Burtch and Garrison Jones! I wonder how that happened?! lol He actually was very glad to hear that his friends from America remembered him and sent him t-shirts. He proudly wore the UT shirt, and I forced myself to take a picture of it.

It was a beautiful way to end our time in Honduras...visiting yet another village that was willing and eager to welcome strangers who worship the same (only) God!

We are already beginning to have to say good-bye to some of the people here, and it makes our hearts sad. God has truly blessed us this week by allowing us to be a part of such an awesome adventure!

We love you all!

Team Two

Day Six

Today was a different day than we have experienced before. We were literally above the clouds! We drove for about an hour straight up! When we got to the village there was a meeting place on the top. It was probably the hottest heat we have experienced here. It was sweltering in the meeting house.

The villagers were not as "lively" as the others we have visited, but you could tell the preacher had a heart to follow Christ. There were several villagers who told Bible stories. It does not matter how long anyone speaks, or how hot it is, the villagers sit very still and listen.

We sang our songs for them, then had more Bible stories. Then we taught them how to make the "Witness" bracelets. They all participated in that one! After that Sidney got out his guitar outside and we taught them a couple of the songs we sang. A few in the group were not feeling well, so we went back down the mountain.

We stopped at the Ag project to eat lunch and look around. We looked at the crops they were raising and got to get in the pen with the baby goats. The caretaker of the place borrowed Sidney's guitar and sang several songs for us. He sang in Spanish. The music was beautiful, and even though I couldn't understand the words it was moving. Sidney and Aine were moved to tears. He has the most beautiful voice. He also sang a song in Chorti.

After supper of spaghetti at Jim's we headed back to Steve and Audrey's house to say good-bye to our North Carolina buddies who had been on the trip with us. They are heading home at 5:15 in the a.m.

God is GREAT! We love you all!

Day Five

We had another awesome day! We did not have to hike as much today, but we drove pretty far in the mountains to get to this village. Each day is different from the rest, with new experiences and blessings. There were people from other villages that joined us today. Some walked 1 1/2 hours just to join us today. That is uphill, in the heat!!! How many of us are willing to do that.

It took awhile for people to come join us, so while we were waiting we first visited the Kindergarten school, then we went up the mountain to the Primary school. It consisted of two rooms (1st - 3rd and 4th - 6th). There was a teacher for each room. One was in his thirties. The teacher for the 4th - 6th grade students was 14! That is no typo...14. We got there as they were about to eat lunch. Moms from the village take turns making lunch for all the students. Each it is rice, beans, and homemade tortillas. We almost got in line.

By the time we got back down the hill the villagers were gathered for our meetings. Jase talked for awhile and then we sang. Afterwards Sidney asked if they could sing to us and they did. Noe, one of the boys from that village who has been with us everyday then told a Bible story. Mark, Aine, Sidney, Kameran, and Christin took the young people to another spot and taught them the three songs. Their favorite was "Sanctuary". (And Feliz Navidad!) The students picked it up pretty quickly. While they were doing that, Jase, Jaclyn, Baylee, Dillon, and I stayed with the adults and told a Bible story. I read the story, Marci interpreted it, and Jaclyn, Baylee, and Dillon acted it out. Jase then explained the story.

When we all gathered back together the youth sang for the group. It was so beautiful! Aine has been videoing the singing, so we are looking forward to letting our church see God working through these youth. One of the men in our group, Eguardo, then preached, and another youth from another village (1 1/2 hours away) told a Bible story. Eguardo then told us the villagers wanted us to pray for their youth. Here is the most amazing part of the day...

We gathered around the students and laid our hands on them. We all then began praying out loud AT THE SAME TIME! It was not a distraction, it was a blessing! To be asked by those people to pray for their students was a very humbling experience.

When we finished praying Marci, one of our interpreters, told me the villagers also want us to pray for their medical clinic. They have one, but they do not have anyone to take care of the people. No doctor will come there, and they do not have a nurse either. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than a young boy came to the group and showed us his finger. It had been mashed this morning in a door at school. It was split from one side of his nail to the other and split about halfway down his finger. Audrey is a nurse, so she was able to clean it and dress it, but he was in great need of stitches. His father agreed to let us take him into town to the clinic there. His father rode with him. He had five stitches in his finger, plus an antibiotic shot. The dad and son were going to take the bus back and walk to the village. I cannot imagine what would have happened if we had not been there today. God's timing is truly amazing!

Please pray for the youth of that village. They seem very eager to learn, and Satan does not want that to happen. Also pray that someone will feel called to work in the clinic in that village. One more request tonight...Jaclyn doesn't feel well and we need prayers for her recovery.

We love you all!

Team Two

Honduras Team 2 - Day Four

Words cannot describe our experiences today. We went to a village that very rarely has visitors. They have just recently built a road to the village, but today the road was too muddy to travel. So...we had to hike down a steep mountain and cross a river just to hike back up an even steeper mountain. This is the first time we have ever seen Jase nervous about driving down a road. That's when we knew it was going to be treacherous. We are glad he decided to let us all out while he backed back down the road. After a few slips and falls, we all made it safely to the village. It was definitely worth the effort!

The village was on the side of a mountain surrounded by lush plants. There were banana trees and coffee plants everywhere! The children ran to greet us from about halfway down the mountain. They were so eager to see the Americanos! We sang three songs in English and then sang them in Spanish..."Jesus Loves Me", "Sanctuary", and Jesus Loves The Little Children of the World". Their favorite was "Sanctuary". It was so beautiful to watch! While Sidney and Kameran were teaching a group of young people the songs Aine, Jaclyn, and Baylee were playing "Pato, Pato, Gando" (Duck, Duck, Goose) with the younger students. At the same time Mark, Jase, and others from our group were telling Bible stories to the adults of the village. Almost everyone in the village came to participate. There were a few men who refused to join the group, but they stayed close enough to hear every word that was said.

The children are so beautiful! Aine and I have already chosen the ones we want to bring back with us. Ha! I think we're going to have to add some rooms onto our houses, though.

God was truly working in our midst today, and we are so thankful He allowed us to be there to experience the beauty of that place. Words can't describe it, and pictures don't do it justice. To truly understand the magnificent beauty one has to experience it firsthand.

Keep the prayers coming!

Honduras Team 2 - Day Three

Got up this morning and went to a village to worship with the people of the surrounding villages. They walk for miles to attend the service. No one complains about the heat or uncomfortable surroundings. They just want to worship our Lord. They asked us to sing a song. Sidney played the guitar and we sang. He and Aine then interpreted to the people what we sang about..."Sanctuary".

The neatest part was when Aine would interpret to me everything the preacher was saying. To be able to have her and Sidney there was truly a gift from God. After the service we went to the village and looked at the escuelas (schools). We have a lot to learn about humility and gratitude.

After lunch and a very nice nap at the missionaries´ home we then make the most difficult journey so far. We climbed to another village for evening worship. We were told 6 months ago the people of that village wanted a Baptist church. In a matter of days they had a cinder block building in which to worship. One of the guys their told us we were seeing a miracle in the making with the preaching and storytelling that was going on. Again, it was a joy to have Sidney and Aine interpreting.

As we left that service we took pictures with several of the villagers. We especially befriended a little boy named Berto. (Okay, we think that´s his name lol.) And Aine made friends with a woman named Irma. Aine made her promise the next time we came she would tell a story and Aine would give her testimony. The gratitude both villages had for us was overwhelming. We wanted to thank them for allowing us to be a part of something so special. They acted like we had done them a favor. About to head to bed as we have to leave the missionaries´ home at 6:30 a.m.!! PRAY!! lol
Tomorrow is supposed to be the most difficult climb, but we know God has placed us here and He will not fail us. Thanks for all the prayers, and keep them coming! We love you all!

Honduras Team 2 - Day Two

Went to the Mayan ruins. Absolutely amazing! The architecture was unbelievable for a people who had no tools. Their dedication to their gods should be an example to us. We know the one true God and we do not honor Him as they did their false gods. It was extremely HOT (or caliente)!! But...we all enjoyed the tour.

Next stop was the bird sanctuary. Saw Macaws, Toucans, and other exotic birds. Even got to perch some on our arms. The flowers there were beautiful! Have never been so hot in our lives! But again, it was worth every minute of it.

Honduras Team 2 - Day One

Well, it looks like we have found a place to get our blog running. We are sitting in a neat little coffee shop right next door to our hotel. I'll start over at the beginning. God has blessed us in so many ways, and I don't want you to miss any of it...

Hola, from Honduras! Where do we start?! Almost didn´t make our flight to Houston. God worked it out and we were able to all get on the same flight. Houston to Honduras was uneventful. Landed in Honduras around lunchtime. Ate at Wendy´s! We went to Missionaries´ home for awhile and visited. Ate at Big Jim´s Pizzaria. Yum!

Honduras from Hayden

It was an amazing week this week! The children in the villages made me smile when they were playing games. The adults have a fun time watching the children. God really blessed the villages with His power and grace. There are alot of mountains and trees. It is not flat. It is the opposite of Seminole. It was one of the most amazing trips I have ever taken in my life.

Honduras from Jase

What a week. I can say without a doubt that Christ has been shared in villages this week. This team has done a GREAT job of being an extension of Christ to the Chorti people. Throughout the week the team has demonstrated Christ love, by loving on children that most likly have not been hugged and played with in months. They have played in the dirt, mud and no telling what else to make sure that the children knew that they were there to share a special kind of love. Church you should be proud of this team!!! Thank you church for grasping a vision on taking Christ to the Chorti people.

It is so exciting to see a prayer that is being answered and that is what has begin to happen this week. It has been a prayer for several years of Billy and Mary Collins and myself to see families participating in mission trips to Copan, to share stories and work together with the Chorti people, that is what has happened this year with this team and the team that will be coming later in the month. Continue to pray for the Chorti people as some of the men are beginning to step up and speak up about the need for Christ in their villages.

In His Grip,
Jase

Honduras from Garrison

Greetings from Honduras. When we arrived in Honduras and left the airport in San Pedro Sula to head to Copan, we were picked up in a van. The driving was pretty insane to say the least. There weren´t really lanes in town. It was more like a big blob of traffic moving down the highway. When we arrived in Copan, it was pouring rain which was refreshing but made for a wet time unloading the luggage. It is beautiful country though. Everything is green and there are plenty of mountains (completely opposite of Seminole).
This week in Honduras has been absolutely incredible. Before setting off for Honduras I would pray every day for the people of Honduras and for their villages, but I really had no concept of how they lived until I saw it first hand. My eyes have been opened to the fact that we are blessed beyond measure in Seminole. The people of the villages are rarely sure what they will eat the next meal, are constantly working to produce goods to eat or sell, hike miles upon miles to get to their crops and to get to town, and have nothing more to wear on their feet than flipflops at best. However, they are extremely appreciative and thankful for each and every thing that they do have. Every person, from the children up to the elderly, wore a smile and had a very kind heart. We were welcomed to each village that we visited and each village said that we were welcome back anytime. In each village we told a story or two and played games with the children. It was amazing to see how long the children would enjoy playing just one game. We had a parachute and would have the children run underneath it, and they would have been perfectly happy doing that for hours. The adults of the village could have watched them happily for hours. They are so appreciative. However, most families in the village have anywhere from 6-12 kids so most of the children don´t get the attention that they deserve. It was a true joy to see those kids´ faces light up when we played a game or even picked up and hugged one 0f the kids. A couple of groups of children sang for us, and one even made a poster telling us thank you. We did a prayer walk in one of the villages where we went to several houses and asked if they wanted us to pray for anything specific and then prayed in their home. It was amazing to see that they have the same prayer requests as people in America: health, crops, etc... When they pray, they pray very passionately. One person begins praying and then everybody just joins in when they feel led. The presence of God was thick.
God is definitely at work in Honduras. We had a 16 year old boy named Hector who came with us every day and told a Bible story that he had learned to each village. Jacob and I got to know him fairly well even though he doesn´t speak any English. We did learn some Spanish from him however. There is also a project that was started called the agriculture project. This is a project where the farmers from the villages come to the ag center and learn how to better tend their crops for half the day and are taught Bible stories for the other half of the day. There are over 100 families now involved with this project and it is a true blessing. They are not only being taught how to grow literal fruit, but spiritual fruit as well. It was really exciting to hear about. A few men from one of the villages got up and talked a little bit about their experience with the ag project. It was really exciting to hear that even though they planted the seeds and watered them themselves, they realized that it happened through God.
Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement before and after our trip to Honduras. I look forward to sharing many stories with you when I get home.

Honduras From Jacob

This week has been absolutely amazing! I could not possibly say everything i want to about this week. I'll start off with the children. They are adorable. They are the most hard-working children I have ever had the chance to interact with. There was a boy that was probably 2 years old that was carrying a bag full of groceries behind his mother. He did not complain and never made an angry face, and there was no telling how long the boy had been walking because the nearest town was miles away. There was another boy who was probably 7 and had been chopping wood for his family's stove since sunup. In America we are so spoiled. We get upset when our parents ask us to dust or vacuum or clean our room. Or at least I do sometimes. The children are also the most energetic and hapy children i have ever seen. We walk into a village and they smile from then until we leave. When we would play games they would never get distracted or bored, like children in the United States. They were so easily entertained. They would play one game for hours and hours. As you were in the village you could tell that they did not get loved on as much as we do in the states. It was truly amazing to show them the love of God and see their eyes light up with happiness.

Secondly i would like to talk about the adults. They are so thankful and have a yearning to learn about God. In one village they told us about their ag project. The leader of tthe village firsst said thank you to God for everything, but then he thanked us numerous times for supporting them and being there. Although I had done absolutely nothing. I was truly humbled by his gratefulness. When we prayed the leader would start but then all the people would start pratying out loud as well. You would here English, Spanish, and occasionally Chorti. It was amazing how powerful the presence of God was in those moments.

Lastly i am going to talk about the translators. The leaders name was Edguardo. These poeple were so passionate for the word of God to be spoken to these villages. We had numerous other translators as well, and i would like to thank them because without them this would have been impossible.

The landscapes down here are beautiful. I have never seen so much green in one place in my life. The mountains and valleys and rivers are truly magnificent. It seems so easy to see God through his creation.

God has been truly amazing this week. He has shown me how truly blessed I really am. He has shown me to always be thankful and give him all the honor and glory. This has been a truly amazing and wonderful trip. Thank you for your support and prayers throughout this week.

Honduras From Hannah

First, I want to thank you for praying for this team! It is amazing what God has done for these people in just one week.

Seeing the little childeren and their smiles knowing they dont have much really hit me. They dont have to have all the nice and cool things to be happy like most of us do. They find joy in little and precious things. This week has made me very thankful for what I have back home!Telling the Bible stories was great and the kids, as well as the adults, really enjoyed them! They were pretty shy at first but playing games with the children really brought them out I thought. They really enjoyed Duck, Duck, Goose! They can play that game for hours!!

We have seen things that have changed out perspective on what working hard really is. Seeing a little children as young as 5 working in the fields with their family and not saying one word about how tired or hot ther were, but just working so hard not knowing any different. Little girls taking care of babies while the mother and father are out and having to be the role of mom, was really amazing!

There are no words to describe how beautiful the mountains are and the millions of trees here unlike where we live! Gods creation is amazing!! The roads and driving here are CRAZY!! I will be very thankful for the smooth and flat roads back home!!

I just want to thank the hosts and traslators here!! There is no way we could have done it without them! I will never forget the friendships I have made with them!! They made me feel like home as much as possible!!

Once again i just want to say thank you for all you have done for us this week while we were here!! Love yall and cant wait to see yall soon!!

Honduras From Madison

Wow! First of all, I just want to thank God for allowing us just to go to Honduras!!! Now even though I don't speak Spanish, I got a lot out of this trip.

In Col. 13:13 it says, " Now the three of these remain- faith, hope, and love. But the most important of these is love." When we went to the villages, that is the verse I thought of. One of the most important things we did was show love to those children. They don't usually get hugged on or loved on, but we showed them our love for them. But most importantly, we showed them the love of Jesus Christ through us. We told them how unconditional Jesus' love is for them, and how no matter how many times we mess up or make mistakes, Jesus loves us anyway. One thing that just made my heart leap inside my chest was when we played the games. Duck, Duck, Goose ( Pato, Pato, Gonzo), throwing a ball and catching it in a parachute, or trying to catch them when they ran under the parachute, their faces just lit up with joy.

Another thing that occured to me was that we are SO fortunate in the U.S. and we take all of it for granted. I mean just the little things, like shoes on our feet, Air Conditioners, smooth roads, or just knowing you are going to have another meal before the day is over. We are extremely blessed and need to thank Jesus for it as often as we can for it.

I am so thankful that Jesus showed himself throughout this trip, to the villages, yes, but especially to me. Now compared to the west Texas brown, and flat this was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!!! The beautiful mountains and green everywhere, I just thank God for allowing this team to come.

*** Keep in your prayers all of the villages we visited, and for the next team coming to Honduras!!!
And also for one of our translators- Marcia- who needs to know where God wants her to be in the missionary field!! :)

Honduras from Tami

I really can't put this week into words. But, I will try! This is my fourth trip to Honduras and every time I am amazed by the beauty of this country and especially by its people. Honduras is absolutely beautiful..........mountains, trees, and gorgeous flowers. Quite the opposite from west Texas! I often wonder how people can experience this beauty and not believe in God - who else could have created this magnificent country?

I am most overwhelmed by the Chorti people in the villages. They captured my heart with their first smile. When we go into the villages, we work with the children at the school and the rest of the village shows up (except for the men who are working in the fields). At one village, the teacher told the children it was time to go outside and play........they screamed and laughed and ran outside as fast as they could. They play simple games for as long as we would play them. They are not spoiled like American children who always want the latest and greatest toy and then get tired of it after just a few minutes. They will play the same game over and over and over. The only "toys" that I saw in the villages were a few balls. The children crave to be loved but most are very shy. They listen so intently to the bible stories that we told. I pray that they truly understand or will someday understand how much they are loved by their Lord.

I am very humbled by the work ethic of these people. They start working at a very young age. We saw a boy who was about 2 years old following his mother carrying a sack of "groceries". We saw a boy about the age of 7 cutting wood with his machete and carrying the piles to his house. The women wash clothes by hand, some have to haul water a very long way, grind corn, cook over stoves with open fires, etc. The men work long, long days 7 days a week in the fields. And, I complain about laundry, dishes, and scrubbing the bathroom.

The missionaries here have been doing an Ag Project with the Chorti people for 6 years. There are over 100 families now involved in this project. The men come to the Ag Center and they spend a week there. Half of the day is learning about the bible and the other half is learning how to farm more efficiently for their family. Before the enter the Ag Project, they farm on the side of the steep, steep mountains and most of the soil washes away. At the Ag Center, they are taught to plant hedge rows and crops between each of the hedgerows. They are taught to rotate their crops. Once this is done, they can get some goats. The goats are kept in pens off of the ground. The hedgerows provide food for the goats. The goats provide fertilizer and milk for the families. They give back one baby goat to the Ag Center. The families in the Ag Project come back over the years for more education. They can also get a stove with a chimney which gets the smoke out of their homes. Many of the Chorti suffer from respiratory problems because their stoves have no chimneys. The Ag Center also teaches basic health education classes.

At one of the villages, many of the men spoke to us about their Ag Projects. It was a miracle that they would stand in front of a big group and talk and they each thanked God for their Ag Projects and how it has changed their family's lives. They even thanked us Americans......I was extremely humbled.

Hearing the Chorti men preach and speak to us has been the biggest blessing in my life this week. I have been coming here since 2003 and this is the first time that I have ever seen that! These villages are changing because of God's love. His love has been revealed to me this week through these people, this beautiful country, our students giving their testimonies, and through the people here who work with Billy and Mary who serve Him non-stop.

I have a specific prayer request - the village of El Zapote has a clinic that serves several villages but it has been closed for over a year now. The government controls it and has not provided a nurse there. They have to go into a nearby town but are not very welcome there. Please pray that the clinic can get a nurse and re-open.

We serve a mighty God worthy of all praise!

Honduras from Christa

English or Spanish. USA or Honduras. Duck, duck, goose or pato, pato, gonzo. I am amazed, though I shouldn't be, at how things are so much the same in such different places. Despite the language or country we are all in such great need of the same things. Love, laughter, provision for our families, and most of all...Jesus Christ.
I have to admit that I am truly humbled by the gratitude of the people in the villages we have visited. They are so grateful for crayons and soccer balls, for having learned to make better use of their land, for sharing Bible stories, and for us just coming to visit and play duck, duck goose with the children.
I am overwhelmed at the way they have shared Jesus with these villages. I honestly have to say that it is one of the best examples I have ever seen of taking Jesus to the people that need him. The missionaries and workers at the ag project have taught these families how to better provide for themselves by using better farming techniques, and by taking time to teach them, have opened their hearts to receive the real gift of Jesus.
I have learned that I have much to learn when it comes to really sharing Jesus. Thank God that He isn't finished with me yet.

Honduras from Chris Burtch

God is good and I am blessed.

Wow! What an adventure. God has shown Himself to us in so many different ways. We have been blessed to be a part of His work. I was not sure what to expect when preparing and arriving in Honduras and specifically Copan, but God has been evident in so many ways.

On Sunday we were able to attend a fellowship of Chorti believers in a village called Las Brisas de Valle. A Chorti man gave the message of the love of Christ specifically through Stephen's life. Of course I understood nothing he was saying until our interpreter, Marsia (a true gift from God), translated for all the Americanos.

Each day since, we have driven way, way back into the mountains to the Chorti villages. The drive alone was a step in trusting God's faithfulness. From crossing rivers, climbing peaks, traversing rugged mountain roads with steep drop offs, each step or mile got us closer to seeing a people group that may be one of the most beautiful people I've had the opportunity to witness. They are a hard working, proud people that are so very grateful for the gifts they have been given. In our eyes as Americans, they have nothing. Homes with no plumbing, no electricity, therefore no air conditioning, indoor stoves that make the home over 100 degrees daily. Their clothes are tattered at best, shoes or boots that don't fit are for the fortunate individuals, others are barefoot daily. The children line up at their one room schools for breakfast each morning and are so happy to get two small tortillas and a spoon full of beans. After devouring something that we would consider an appetizer, they quickly go to the classroom and anxiously anticipate what the Gringos are going to say and do. It is amazing to me that laughter and smiles are always a universal language. These Chorti children have such a zeal for life and the simplest of things. They love to laugh and play and smile just as my children do. They applaud everytime we tell a Bible story and want to hear another. God is good. These people have nothing and believe they have everything because they are given hope by a few Americanos that help them with their farming techniques, the Americanos that tell them Bible stories, and the Americanos that show them that they are loved by Jesus Christ.

Wow what an adventure to be used by God. He has shown Himself to me through the smiles of a child, through the hug that I received from a boy when it was time to leave his village, in the passion I heard in a Chorti man's voice when preaching God's word in a language I did not understand, in men of villages standing up time after time to say thank you to a bunch of Americanos for their gifts and knowledge. I feel so inadequate and so ashamed that I am so spoiled and selfish. Thank you God for using me anyway.

God is good and I am blessed.

Honduras Team 1 - Day 2

Honduras Team 1 Day 2

We started our morning at the missionaries’ house with a scrumptious breakfast and a devotional. We then headed to the Mayan Ruins for a tour. Our tour gave the team a better understanding of the history of the Chorti Indians. The Chorti are direct descendants of the Mayans. The Mayans believed in many gods – the Sun God, the Moon God, the Creation God, just to name a few. The also believed in 13 layers of heaven and the underworld. At the Ruins, we saw some Macaws which are the national bird of Honduras and beautiful vegetation.

This afternoon we went to the village of Las Brisas de Valle. There is a bible study in the village every Sunday afternoon. The churches in town and in the villages do not meet on Sunday morning for worship. The men work 7 days a week out in the fields so most services are in the late afternoon and evening. We had quite a hike because the roads were too muddy to drive into the village. We got to walk over a swinging bridge – that was a walk by faith for me!!

We joined Chris and Stacey Zeigler who are also missionaries in Honduras at this bible study. One of the Chorti men led the bible study. Chris told our team that we had witnessed a miracle. After many, many years of missionary work in Honduras, it is sooooooooooooo exciting to see leaders in the villages become believers and then are willing to passionately share the word of God. Please pray specifically for this village and the men leading the bible study.

We get to lead in a village tomorrow!!! We will go to the village of El Zapote in the morning. We will play with the children, tell Bible stories, and pray with the people. Please pray for our team as we share God’s word with the people in this village.

Internet service comes and goes with the rain here! I am able to post text but have not been successful in uploading pictures yet. I will keep trying!

Thank you for your prayers!

Honduras Team 1 - Day 1

We made it to Honduras, we are tired, going to bed at 9 pm, but ready for a God size adventure! We had a smooth day of travel that started by meeting at the church at 3:30 am. Billy and Mary Collins, IMB missionaries in Honduras, are stateside this summer. Steve and Audrey Long from Parkwood Baptist, North Carolina are here with us this week. We are excited to work together here in Honduras. Tomorrow morning, we will visit the Mayan Ruins which will give the team a background and cultural understanding of the Chorti Indians. In the afternoon, we will visit the village of Las Brisas and take part in their weekly Bible study. Good Night for now!

Sorry no pictures posted yet........will post some tomorrow!

Beach Camp 2010 Day 5 On the Way Home

Good morning from Clinton, Mississippi! We just finished breakfast at McDonalds. Once again the staff at McDonalds complimented your students. There was a men's prayer group meeting at McDonalds. They stopped one of our students and asked where we were from. Then they spent some time praying for us and our trip home. They were also impressed with how respectful and quiet our students were. We should be very proud of our FBC Students. We are back on the road. Had as good a night as you can have sleeping on a bus. The students must have been tired because they were out almost immediately. They have been so good on the busses. This has been an extremely smooth trip, except for the bus breakdown and the bad weather. We will change bus drivers in Shreveport Louisiana in a little bit. Then Jase is planning on lunch in Weatherford, Texas. It is amazing that you can cross Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and some of Florida, and then spend more time crossing Texas than all of the others combined. We truly live in a big state.

Matt's last message last night was a challenge to the students to take what they have learned at camp and use it at home. The theme for the week was Give up, Get up, and Go! He talked about the going part last night. He told them some of them would face obstacles to the commitments they had made this week. He challenged them to remain in the Bible and to continue spending time with God once they got home. Well we are about half way home! Only 12 hours to go!

Beach Camp 2010 Day 4

7:30 AM The Iron Indians and Maidens are up and at it on the last day. Jase and Matt had them work out in the pool today for something different. After watching it, I'm not so sure that it was better. It was still very difficult, but at least they weren't soaked in sweat. These athletes have gotten up every morning at 6:00 AM to work out. Now that is what I call dedication. Two red flags flying on the beach again, so that means that we can't get in the gulf again today. I think Hurricane Alex has put a damper on our trip. It wasn't raining when the kids got up, but it is pouring again now. Looks like it will be a pool day again. It doesn't seem to bother the students. They would rather get in the ocean, but they will take what they can get. They are a good group.

4:46 PM Well it hasn't been the greatest day for our students. They have been really good sports. You won't see many pictures from today, because we couldn't get the cameras out. It has been pouring rain for most of the day. There are still two red flags flying at the beach and the waves are really impressive to watch, but I don't think you would want your children in them. At one time, we were walking through the walk way by the cabins and we were sloshing through about 3 inches of water. Some of the students wanted to eat lunch in the snack bar, but it was standing in water as well. It didn't phase them, they sat down and ate with water up to their ankles. I would never have thought that people from West Texas would be uttering the phrase, "Will it ever quit raining?" Jase had scheduled a special time with the senior students for an airboat ride, but they canceled that, so he and Tami took them to supper and a movie this afternoon. Not to be out done Stacy took several of the students to the movie in town. I think they are seeing the new Twilight movie. We have spent most of the afternoon cleaning up. It is amazing at the difference in the way the boys room smells compared to the girls room below us. Well, the fun and games are almost over. After worship tonight, the busses will be here to pick us up. We should head for home by 10:30 or 11:00, and the busses should arrive in Seminole somewhere around 8:00PM tomorrow night. It has been wet, but fun. We should be thrilled with our staff. They have done an outstanding job on this camp. Jase and Tami have kept everything running smoothly and had to deal with many unexpected turns on this trip, but they have handled things beautifully. Matt has been an outstanding camp pastor. I would fully expect that many lives have been changed by his messages. God is speaking powerfully through him. See You in Seminole!

Beach Camp 2010 Day 3

4:55 PM Day 3 began early for the Iron Indians again. They met on the beach at 6:00 AM and started running. They were pretty tired. The pictures of them running are followed by pictures of them all asleep after breakfast. We had a traditional egg and bacon breakfast. Jase had more grits, not the best thing in the world. He was trying to get everyone to try them. We had morning worship after that. The day looked really promising, cloudy and cool which is really nice for Florida. There was only one red flag flying this morning, so the plan for free time was part of them at the beach and part of them shopping in town. After small group time about 11:00, everyone went to the beach for the sand castle building contest. They had closed the beach and put up two red flags by the time we got there. Clouds began to look a little ominous. Our students had to serve the camp lunch today, and we had a really good number of volunteers. Our students have done a really good job of stepping up and helping out. The rain began to pour right before lunch, so the beach trip was cancelled. Most everyone opted for the bus ride into town. There were a few who wanted to hang out at the camp and swim in the pools. That was cut short by a few claps of thunder. I think everyone had a great time shopping town. I sure hope they saved a few bucks for breakfast Friday morning. Even though we can't swim, the ocean is beautiful and the waves are powerful as they crash ashore. The forecast for tomorrow is more of the same, so lets hope it lets up a little. The students would really like a little more time in the water. Jase is having everyone clean up a little right now, so it won't be so bad tomorrow.

9:11 PM Finally!! It has quit raining. The Students are in their small groups right now. We just finished worship. I just keep being amazed at the messages Matt preaches. We at FBC Seminole are truly blessed. Matt preached out Mark Chapter 3 tonight. He asked out students why we let the enemy make us feel worthless. He told them that their worth to God is not determined by how they look or what they can do. Many of us ask God why he made us the way He did. Why didn't he make us better looking or more popular. We cannot allow our identity to be shaped by they way we look or how people feel about us. Our identity and worth must come from who we are in Christ. Some of us allow ourselves to get so caught up in what's going on around us that we do not see those who need our help. Christ stands ready to forgive us and accept us no matter what. All we have to do is accept Him.

Beach Camp 2010 Day 2

Good morning from rainy Florida. The morning started off early for the Iron Indians in Florida. They were running on the beach at 6:00 AM. This was followed by an amazingly hard work out. You can see how hard they worked by looking at the Day 2 Pics. After they drug them selves back up to the house. They showered and we had pancakes for breakfast. After that, it was quiet time and what they are calling "giddy up." It is the morning worship time. While we were in there it decided to do some serious raining. As a matter of fact it is still raining. There was supposed to be a sand castle contest going on this morning, but I think that has been postponed. They are improvising in the worship center right now.

What promised to be a disappointing day, really changed quickly. God let the rain pass on by noon and one of the red flags came down shortly afterword, so after lunch all of the sponsors and students headed for the beach. The students had a great time getting shoved around by the waves, and Jase was out in the middle of them herding them back to our area of the beach. I think that the power of the ocean was an eye opening experience for our land locked students. We rested a little later in the afternoon. After a lasagna supper, we went to worship with Matt. I'm sure this will come as a surprise to everyone, but he really got after it again tonight. Tonight he preached from Acts, 2nd Corinthians, and Galatians. He taught on Paul and how he did not go in search of Jesus, but Jesus invaded his life, and he surrendered his life completely to God. When we have been saved, we no longer live for ourselves, but we live for Christ, and even on our worst days, we are covered by the sacrifice of Christ. The flesh will not go quietly away, and we will not always be perfect. We must go before God daily and ask Him to help us crucify the flesh. Matt used a great illustration here. We can nail one hand and our feet to the cross, but we would be unable to do the last hand. We must ask God to help us crucify the flesh. We cannot do it ourselves. He finished his sermon by talking about the incredible pressure our kids face today. Some of it comes from them, but some of it comes from the parents as well. We ask a lot of our kids when it comes to academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities. We often push them to do what we feel is best for them instead of asking God to point them direction He wants them to go. Whether it is in their relationships or their goals in life, they should put Christ first. If that means not playing in tournaments on Sunday, or not skipping church to work on assignments then so be it. Christ must come first. A point that was amazing was that who is it that gives them the athletic ability, or the ability to succeed in academics or other extracurricular activities. We need to trust God to help mold that ability, not rely on all the other ways, we as parents think we can make them better.

Everyone is enjoying a little free time right now before lights out at 11:30. Tomorrow we are planning on taking them to town to do a little souvenir shopping. Please pray for the sponsors.

There are a lot of new pictures on Day 1 and 2 thanks to Christy Hallum