Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tuscaloosa- Day 1
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Team 3 Day 5 Cheryl
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Team 3 Day 4 Cheryl
Team 3 Day 4 Valerie
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Team 3 - Day 3 Cheryl
Team 3 - Day 3 Valerie
Monday, July 18, 2011
Team 3 - Day 2 Valerie
Team 3 Day 2 Cary
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Team 3 Day 1 Cheryl
Team 3 Day 1 Valerie
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Team 3
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Team 2 is about to head home!!!
Kenzie-Thursday
Brittany and Jenna =)
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Kimberly - Wednesday
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Jase's Blog
Howdy Seminole Friends and Family
Today was our first day of food distribution and as a team, even though we have hear from Steve and Audrey, Edgardo, Obando and Marcia, we really had no idea what to expect. It had rained the night before until 1:30 - 2:00 am so we were not sure how far we would be able to get into the first village. Our goal for the day was to bring food to three villages and the weather and mud were looking like it was going to make that difficult. Let me share with you the process that is taking place to make this all happen.
Our team has separated into two teams. Team one, Mason, Garrison, Edgardo, Obando and Steve are working along side three fellas from Parkwood Baptist Church in North Carolina, Jeff, Ferral and John. They are taking care of the filling of bags, with corn and beans, loading the required amount on the pickups and bringing the loads to the village. I have been giving Garrison and Mason a hard time because every time they come in or leave a village they are riding in the back of the pickup, however they along with the NC guys are working hard to make sure we have the food where it needs to be and the correct amount.
Team two, Kenzie, Jenna, Britney, Kimberly, Bailey, Micah, Marta, Audrey, Marcia, Dunia and I are going into the villages to begin registering families. Before food distribution begins within each village, the leader of that village meets with each family to determine the quantity of food each family would receive which is based upon family size. Edgardo and Obando collected those numbers and that is what we are working off of. Team two has a other responsibilities as well. While Micah, Marcia, and Audrey are registering families, the remainder of the team is working with the children playing games telling stories and loving on them.
Once everyone is registered and the food arrives the adults line up and wait on their name to be called. Once their name is called they have a huge process of getting the food to their homes. So far we have not been able to get inside the villages due to rain and mud so each family is carrying their food approximately half mile to a mile with bags that can range in weight from 10 lbs to 150 lbs. That is the how it works and we are ready to move into our second day of distribution. Continue to pray for the families and the teams that will be involved in this distribution. By the way, if you would like to be a part of a team please let me know. Thanks you for all that you are doing while our teams have been here. Seminole your teams have done a great job sharing the love of Christ with the Chorti people.
In His Grip,
Jase
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Garrison blog
Micah--Sunday
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Mason's Video Blog
Friday, July 8, 2011
Team 1 is headed home; Team 2 in Honduras
Whitney Warren- July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Todd Warren - July 7th
A Different Kind of Exhaustion
As you can tell, none of my blogs are going to be short! When I finally get started writing, I can’t stop.
When we went into the first home the first thing I noticed was a very small child…I guessed about a year old, sitting on the dirt floor. He was filthy. He had on what was once a white t-shirt. His feet and legs were pure filth. The air was stifling hot. It was the middle of the day, the stove was going (NOT our kind of stoves…it is the heat of an open campfire, only right in the middle of the room), and the windows were partially closed. The woman asked us to pray for health for her family and for the crops. She pointed to the little boy and said he is three and has never walked. I thought he was about ONE! I was the one to pray in that home, and Arely was translating. As I began praying for that small child I became pretty emotional. To be asked by that woman to pray for her children and her family was a very humbling experience. I believe many of the infirmities that have befallen these people are “easy fixes” in the US. After many tears, when we left that home, we then went to another home. It seemed to be a better kept home. I thought to myself, “This is a much better situation than the previous home.” There was even an OLD sewing machine in one corner, and one of the girls there said she was going to try to learn to sew. Again, it was very hot. When Arely asked the girl how we could pray for them my whole image of this home changed. The girl could hardly speak she was so emotional. You see, her mother had died just a short time ago, and it was her, her father and several of her sisters living here. As I began to pray I honestly got choked on my words. I don’t know how Arely could even begin to translate through my weeping, but she did. I know we have children who lose parents and loved ones in the US, but here life is so much harder, even with both parents. Things are so much more difficult when that happens. After going to several other homes, we arrived at the last house we were to pray in. The woman did not want us to come inside, but she did want us to pray for her family. One of her sons was sick. He had gotten very sick the night before and had diarrhea and vomiting. He even had to run around the corner outside the throw up while we were there. Eguardo followed him around the corner. When they came back he told the mother he wanted her to come with us and we would take them down the mountain to the doctor. When we left the village we took the woman, her son, and a daughter down with us. While we ate lunch at the Mission house, Steve and Eguardo took them to the doctor. They got some medicine, and Eguardo took them home. If we had not been there, things could have been much different. I am amazed by how God’s timing works everything out. As I left that village I was more emotionally drained than with anything else we had done on any of my previous trips here. Audrey had told me “Prayer Walking” was an emotional roller coaster, but I did not fully understand the depth of that until that moment.
I thank God for each of you and the prayers you have uttered on our behalf. We love you, my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Trisha
Amber---July 6, 2011
I feel I have to backtrack a bit in order to show how amazing our Father is. Monday was a very emotional day. I think for most of us it tugged at our hearts like nothing we have ever experienced. Yesterday was a much different day. We went to a village called Hacienda De San Juan. We began our trip with about an hour drive up a mountain. There was a bridge washed out so we had to hike the rest of the way. I have never been so physically tired. We hiked for what we think was about two miles. The closest example I can think of is hiking up the hill by the walking park in deep ruts, with mud, and twice a steep in 99 percent humidity. When we got there we began to play with some children, then we went to their school. It was a very fun day. We laughed and played with the kids for a long time. Because we had to hike back down the hill we did not do any prayer walking. So even though it was physically draining, it was not emotionally draining. I know that God was giving us a break because he knew what was in store for us today. We went to a village called Barbasco. When we arrived the children were about to eat some watermelon. Audrey took me to see the classroom and it was incredible. They had much more materlialistically than the villages we went to previously. Audrey told me that she could tell there was a major “gringo” influence there. There were 2 girls volunteering at the school; one from England and one from New York. We all gathered in the classroom like we did at the first village. The Chorti people seemed very glad we were there. They are the nicest people… Very welcoming. Some of us were greeted with hugs and kisses from a few of the ladies. Marcia asked us to introduce ourselves then JASE asked me to tell them what we wanted to do that day. He did not ask Sean, Todd, Steve - he asked me and I promise I almost had a heart attack. Talk about putting you on the spot!! It was fine really J After I was done Jase spoke for a few minutes and then Sean, Clare, Whitney and, Todd sang Revelation song. Then some thing amazing happened. They wanted to sing “When the Role is Called Up Yonder”! I wish I had my flip camera to record how beautiful it was. We were all singing the same song, in two different languages, praising the same God. I just know that’s what heaven will be like. When we were done we played a few games and half of us went prayer walking and the other half went to another school just up the mountain. There is basically one huge village with about 75 families but because a county line runs in between the village one side is called Barbasco Copan and the other side is called Barbasco Cabannas. I was with Steve, Todd, Clare, Hayden, and Marcia. We arrived at the first house and we got to pray with Adrianna. She is expecting her 5th baby, and is due in 3 months. She was very nice and welcoming. At our next house we met a 80ish year old lady whose name was Maria. She was a widow and she lived with her 30-year-old son. She told us that she has walked into town yesterday to get money but her name was not on the list. From what I understand it’s some kind of government assistance program. Since her name was not on the list they sent this sweet woman away to walk back up the mountain in the rain. She wanted us to pray for her health, her home, and safety for her son. She told us that she belongs to Jesus and he takes care of her. (I have to tell you this. In this culture they do not pray as we do where we all bow our heads and one person prays. They all pray out loud at the same time) So when Clare began to pray and Maria starting praying right along with her. I have no idea what she was saying but I’m telling you it was POWERFUL. I felt something there. I know we had the presence of the Lord right there with us. So we went to the next house and Maria’s Daughter-in-law lived there. She told us that her husband had died 3 months ago and she was left with 5 small kids. She told us that she was given some food to feed her kids but its almost gone and she does not know how she is going to feed her family. Her oldest son is still in elementary school and her oldest daughter who is probably 8 had to stop going to school to stay home and help out. At this point, Marcia and I have tears pouring from our eyes. I could feel that this lady, who is probably younger than I am, feels that her situation is hopeless. You might think that our visits to the homes gets better… well they don’t. At the next house, a man whose wife has been gone for 12 days trying to deliver their baby greeted us. He did not want her to have a c-section because she would not be able to lift heavy things and therefore could not work. Instead of anger I felt compassion for him. In these villages it takes every one contributing to the family to survive. As we continued we were asked to lay hands an an 18 yr old boy who has epilepsy and we also prayed for a young family who is loosing their faith in God because the circumstances here are so bad. This village has two churches in it. The Church of God and a Catholic church. Almost everyone we talked to went to the Church of God. This village had more “things” such as electricity and one house even had a cement floor. But the emotional needs were great. I hardly said a word the whole way home I left with a very heavy heart for the Chorti people. Tami kept telling me over and over that I would fall in love with these people down here I she was right - I have. There is so much work to be done here that it is overwhelming. But I know that I know God has a plan.
Needs!!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The Workers Are Few
My heart is so broken for some of the things we have seen here. These people work so hard for so little. I truly don't know anyone who would be willing to live under the conditions they do, and yet, it is a way of life for them. Yesterday as we walked up the mountain to Hacienda de San Juan I was asking Marcia, our Honduran friend, and sister in Christ, if the people realized the beauty of their surroundings. She said that some of them probably did, but not all of them. They are too busy trying to feed their families and survive. Once we got to the village (after about an hour of almost straight up climbing!), one of the older ladies came up and asked Marcia if we thought where she lived was pretty. I told Marcia to assure her we have nothing like this where we are from, and that it is muy bonito (not sure about the spelling, but it means very beautiful).
I know I keep going on and on about the climb, and how difficult the journey was yesterday, but I assure you, there is a point to this. Steve and Audrey Long have been coming to Honduras for many years. They began coming on Mission teams, but for the past several years they have volunteered to come down and work while the missionaries that were placed here went back to the states on leave. They generally spent about two months out of the year in Honduras continuing the work of Billy and Mary Collins while they took a much needed rest back home. Steve and Audrey have been a part of, and led, many medical teams, prayer walking teams, and evangelistic teams into this country. They have been very obedient to God's call for the Chorti people. But without mincing words I am just going to say, they are not as young as they used to be. Their intent was never to live down here for as long as they have. Last fall medical reasons prevented Billy and Mary from remaining in Honduras. The IMB (International Mission Board) had already determined that when Billy and Mary retired they would not be sending any more missionaries to this area. They (the IMB) believed there were not enough numbers to warrant spending the money needed to provide for missionaries here. I’m not sure how or why they play the numbers game, but I can assure you there is a great need for missionaries here. I don’t recall anywhere in the Bible where Jesus said to go and take a census to see if there were enough people to warrant entering a town. When Billy and Mary went back to the States Steve and Audrey’s church, Parkwood Baptist, decided to continue sending funds for the Chorti mission work to continue. Steve and Audrey agreed to live in the mission house, which their church is paying the lease on, and continue to minister to these people who have touched their lives, and ours, in such a way.
The work Steve and Audrey do (and Billy and Mary did for so many years) is not for the faint of heart. It is not work that has a monetary reward, nor are there many creature comforts. There is running water in their home, but you can’t put toilet paper in the toilets because the septic systems here cannot let things drain properly, and you can’t even stick your toothbrush under the water for fear of getting sick. Everything must be washed with bleach water. The electricity goes out at some point most days. When that happens it gets very hot in the Mission house. Not that it is ever cold. Most days the heat manageable (if you stay indoors), and at some points during the day there is a cool breeze blowing. But all you have to do is step out their door and you are hit with blistering heat. Most of the work done is outdoors…not only outdoors, but straight up in the mountains where the heat is stifling, and the bugs are plentiful.
We come here for about a week, and get our “feel good fix”, then return home to our air conditioned ways, our fast food meals, and our clean water and septic systems. While Steve and Audrey wave good-bye to us and begin preparations for the next team, which sometimes is catching a plane to come to Honduras as the previous team is heading home. When a team is here Steve and Audrey wake up before we do (and we wake up around 5:15 a.m.) and they go to bed after we do preparing for the next day. There is no rest time, no vacation time, and no time to themselves. People are constantly stopping by the Mission house needing medical assistance, a ride somewhere, or spiritual questions answered. They also hold Bible Studies in their home.
As we were walking yesterday, we stopped several times to rest. Audrey went as far as she could (which was quite a way), but finally had to admit she could go no further. When I got to the top of the mountain where the village was I looked back and saw Steve in his “Panama Jack” hat topping the hill alone. I must say I was moved to tears. He looked tired, and I could tell he was torn between coming on to help us, and leaving his wife behind on the log she had found to rest on. It’s not like she was on a city bench somewhere. She was in the middle of the Honduran jungle resting on a log! Don’t get me wrong. Steve and Audrey are not feeble people. They are strong and hard-working. They love the Lord and they love the Chorti people. But Audrey is in her late sixties and Steve is seventy. They did not feel called to full-time mission work, and yet, here they are. Why? Because at this point THERE IS NO ONE ELSE! Please understand, Steve and Audrey do all of this without complaint. They have not asked me to write this. I’m just giving my observations as God has laid things on my heart.
There is a great need for a younger couple, preferable who speak Spanish, to come and take over this work. I know that God has the exact people in mind to do this. Someone reading this blog right now is beginning to feel a stirring in their spirit. I know it. I sense it. I believe God is having me write this for that very reason. Someone is needed to come and continue the work that is being done here. God does not want these people to be abandoned!
In the meantime, please pray for health, safety, and REST for Steve and Audrey. Pray the teams who come here will be sensitive to the needs of the Chorti people who live in the villages in the mountains, and to the Hondurans who live in the towns. And above all, pray the name of Jesus will be proclaimed for all to hear!
We love you all and covet your prayers!
Trisha
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Trisha---July 5
Let me go ahead and explain the picture, and we'll get our laughs out of the way. Then I can get to the seriousness of this blog. As you can see by this picture, we have had a lot of laughs...mainly at my expense!! Today the road to the village we were going to was too treacherous. We had already driven about an hour. We then could not go any further due to the road being washed out. We walked the next hour or so, at some points straight up. I have never been so tired in my entire life! At one point we came to a stream. Several people took their shoes off and walked through the middle of the stream. I decided I was going to be like the kids and go over the rocks. As you can see, I had a little mishap! Poor Trevor! He was wanting to help me and I wouldn't let him. He then thought it was his fault I fell. I must say...it was NOT his fault. I was going down, no matter what, but if he had helped, he would have been in as well. These kids are troopers. They all waited until they saw that I was okay before laughing. Crystal, being the wonderful photographer she is, could not miss this photo op, however. I told them I would go ahead and post this on the blog before I saw it on Facebook!Monday, July 4, 2011
Amber-- Eye Opening
In His Service,
Amber
Food Distribution Update
- Each village named above
- The village leader for each village named
- good weather so they can make it into the villages
- right amount of rain for a good harvest for corn and beans that are now planted
- Pray that the Chorti will not only receive physical food to feed their bodies but that they will also receive the spiritual food that will be shared with them.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Caleb---July 3, 2011
I thought I would blog about what I've seen and experienced here so far. When we were driving to Copan, we saw many houses along the way built out of tin and homemade bricks. It made me grateful to have a house with running water and electricity, but it also made me very sad to see those people living in those houses. I am also very sad that many of the villagers have to bathe and wash their clothes in the river, where they also dump their trash. This morning we went to church in Otuta. While on our way, we got stuck on the road. We also saw some people on the road walking, and we picked them up and they road with us into their village along the way. One of the ladies was an 85 year old woman. She asked Arely when we would be bringing food. That made me feel bad because we can have food anytime we want back home, and many of these people are happy to have one meal a day. I am very happy that I have Hayden here with me. He has been here before and has showed me how to be safe and not get sick. He also showed me alot of things along the way that I would have missed if I were by myself. He also showed me where to buy a machete :) Please remember to pray for the Chorti people and us.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Amber---The Need
I do not think I am going to be able to express in words the feelings that are stirring inside me. I am in awe of how breathtakingly beautiful it is here. At the same time I can’t keep from tearing up from seeing so much poverty. I have been fretting over what color tile I should buy to remodel our guest bathroom when on our way here from San Pedro Sula we saw homes put together like a scrap quilts using rusted tin, unwanted tarps and cardboard boxes. It broke my heart to see all the small kids walking along the road dirty and most likely hungry. There is so much need here. I am anxious to see what the Lord is going to do. I am loving being here with my 11 year old and his best friend. Watching them realize how blessed they are and seeing them understand that being a Christian does not just mean going to church on Sunday. It is about going when you are called to where you are called, to be used as a vessel. I am praying that the word “mission” will come to life and not just be a word they hear in church. All of us here want to be used mightily in whatever way God sees fit to further the Kingdom and His plans. I loved going to the ruins today. I learned sooo much. I have a much better understanding how arrogance and greed (the words our guide used not mine) of a few men could build a kingdom and ultimately put generation after generation of people in bondage…. I pray that through us Jesus will be able to break through the stronghold the enemy has over these people. I am pumped! We have not even technically started to work yet and God is already moving!
Trisha---July 2
Today we went to the Mayan Ruins. There the team got a very clear picture of the beliefs that are so ingrained into the Chorti people. It is amazing to see the architecture these people were able to create with primitive tools...and much of it is still standing! The scenery is breathtaking! I often wonder if the people who lived in the midst of this were able to actually appreciate the beauty of their surroundings, or were they so busy trying to survive that they missed God's handiwork? Please pray as we go into the villages this week that we will be able to show them Christ's love and that they will be open and receptive to hearing the Gospel. We would ask that you continue to pray for their food situation as well. Our team has had a day of rest today (after the ruins), and we will go to church in one of the villages tomorrow. We will not really get into the villages to until Monday. On Monday, please make it a point to pray for safety, health, and boldness as we venture out. This is an awesome team made up of many different personalities, but I believe God has placed each of us here for a purpose, and our purposes will all work together for His Glory. I can already feel a bonding with the team, and I look forward in the days to come as God draws us even closer. We covet your prayers, and we thank God for each of you.
On our Way to the Ruins
Good Morning.