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Good Morning! Just to let you know that we are safely in Texas. We traveled to east of Dallas yesterday and spent the night. Thank you for praying for us. God is good to us. No injuries or problems.

We are headed to church this morning where we will worship with the folks at First Baptist Church, Forney.

Again, thank you so much for praying for us. We will see you at home.

bev

Day 6 - Robin

Today the team worked at the Forest Lake Baptist Church distribution center. We helped survivors shop for items such as clothes, toiletries, stuffed animals, furniture, etc. My favorite part of the day was meeting a little boy named Joshua. Joshua is about 10 years old and his home had been completely destroyed by the tornado that hit Alberta, a small neighboring community on the outskirts of Tuscaloosa.

Joshua and his family went into a closet to ride out the tornado. Are you ready for a miracle story? There was a king bed that was in the bedroom adjacent to the closet where the family was staying. In the midst of the storm, that king bed was blown away but a twin mattress was blown into the home and against the closet door; this mattress protected the family from the flying debris and glass that could have easily caused injuries or even death. Isn't God amazing?!

As I talked with Joshua today he told me about his experience during and immediately after the tornado. He described in vivid detail the mangled bodies of those that did not survive the storm. The things that this little boy saw in the minutes following the tornado simply amaze me. What amazes me even more is his resiliency. Despite the trauma he had endured he was still able to see hope. When I asked him how he was dealing with everything that had happened to him he replied that he prays a lot and asks God to give him strength and comfort. I was in awe of this small boy with such a large faith. I could see how God has already been working in this child's life...please pray that Joshua will continue serving the Lord and staying strong in his faith. After Joshua's mom loaded her furniture it was time for him to go. He gave me a hug and said he hoped to see me again. With that he walked to his car and he and his mom drove off.

As I watched him leave my heart began to ache. I wondered to myself where life will take Joshua. What trials will he endure? What happy memories will he make? I asked God to watch over my new friend and I have to trust that God will be faithful in answering that prayer.

To say this trip has been amazing is a gross understatement. This trip has been one of the best experiences of my life! A piece of me will always be with the people here in Alabama. They have blessed me and I am grateful to them for teaching me about what it means to continue living when life looks the darkest. I am also grateful for those that have served with me on this team. I have bonded with them and am so blessed to have grown alongside them this week.

God is ALWAYS faithful and He is at work all around us, we just have to be open to letting Him use us to carry out his perfect plan!

Blessings to you all!

Robin

Day 6 - Bev

Our last day here working with Tuscaloosa was extremely rewarding. The people here loved us easily. They are so easy for us to love. We truly are God's hands and feet here.

Today we worked in the distribution center. Friday is Furniture Day. There were 47 families lined up outside the church (distribution center) to hopefully take some furniture home. After the survivors proved their eligibility, they were allowed two pieces of furniture. I spoke with each one as they came through the door to get their approval ticket. Every one of them had totally lost everything. Two families had lost loved ones. The survivors did not mind talking about their stories. They talked easily among themselves even though they were strangers. They shared a pain.

The church that is housing the distribution center plans to be open for years. They still need everything that you can send and they still need volunteers. Forest Lake Baptist Church was the center where we worked but there are several in the area.

We met a little boy names Joshua. Robin will tell you more about him. He is amazing. He has been through a tremendous trauma that no one should go through.

A community that we worked in said the were 98% cleaned up. The rest of Tuscaloosa is 16% cleaned up. They still have a ways to go but....Tuscaloosa will be back.

Links to Tuscaloosa

Check out these sites for additional pictures.

website : www. texasbaptist.org/sharechrist

Facebook: txb_Share Christ

Twitter: txb_BeOnMission

Facebook: Tim N Nancy Carlisle

Day 5 - Bev

Tuscaloosa is such a beautiful place. The vegetation is lush and beautiful. The massive thick green trees have vines growing on them. The crepe myrtles and magnolia tress are just beautiful. Then you drive upon the mile wide path where the tornado was and you see devastation. The massive trees were stripped and splintered. The trees have begun to put out again and there is greenery in the horizon again. The people that live here say; "I wish you could have seen it before the storm. It was beautiful and green."

There are signs everywhere that read; "We will be back." The spirit of the people is strong and positive. Everyone that we have listened to speak about how the Lord saved them. People are very conscious that God has spared them. Some say God is moving and He isn't finished yet.

We met a lady (Earline) today while we were working at the distribution center. She has been volunteering at the distribution center since the storm. The distribution center is in her church, which sustained massive damage. Earline is a survivor of the tornado. She barely made it to her closet before the tornado hit. She said in just a matter of seconds the tornado had passed over her. There was nothing left of her house. She said she had replaced her roof with metal just a couple of months before. Having the metal roof saved her. She could not find her companion, her cat. She struggled with this. In a few hours he finally came back. She had a really hard time telling us her story. She had to stay in her "house" for two days before she had any place to go. She had not driven around Tuscaloosa since the tornado so she volunteered to show us her house... and the campus of the University of Alabama. She is a die hard Bama fan. Has been for probably 80 years.

The distribution centers are setup to send the donations out to the survivors. It is amazing how much has been donated. To be able to take some of the stuff, you must be a survivor and cleared by FEMA. We were told that 11 tons of donations came in yesterday from California. The volunteers sort, organize and shelve it. Everything that you can imagine has been donated. Some of the people that come to these centers have lost absolutely everything. Some lived in their cars for weeks because they had no place to go. Just think about it. What would you do if your house and car was destroyed and the place that you go everyday to work was blown away.

We woke up this morning to a thunderstorm. It was cool, cloudy and raining. It was great! It has been cloudy all day.

Tomorrow we will go back to the distribution center to work. Thank you for your prayers. The people in Tuscaloosa are very sweet people.

Day 5-Robin

Yesterday I talked about the dust devil that came through the demolition site. Clara Miller said something about this that I wanted to share with everyone. She said:

"Whether it is small and blows dirt in your face, or immense and blows away all you hold dear, it is completely out of our control and completely in His control!"

All I can say to this is amen!

As many of you probably know, I work as a grief counselor at Hospice of Lubbock. A few weekends ago Hospice of Lubbock had our annual children's grief camp. This camp is for children ages 5 to 17 who have lost a loved one in the past two years. One of the activities at the camp is a giving back activity and this year we decided we wanted to reach out to Tuscaloosa. The campers wrote letters to children here in Tuscaloosa who were impacted by the tornado. In these letters the campers talked about their own grief experience and shared words of encouragement. This morning we took these letters along with stuffed animals and a book called "A Jungle of Grief, A Spirit of Hope" to Hospice of West Alabama. This hospice will hand out these items to children they meet with in their grief recovery center. A woman named Bethany Smith gave us a tour and talked about their ministry. Hospice of West Alabama does amazing things for the community and I am thrilled that Hospice of Lubbock could extend a hand and help the wonderful people of Tuscaloosa!

Day 5 - Randy

Good afternoon,

A part of 1 Corinthians 1:6 states,"If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation." This verse has been evident this week. It has spoken it me. During our time here, the people of Tuscaloosa continue to praise and give God honor for the "Great Things He Has Done". The testimonies of 83 and 87 year old women (Mrs. Thornton's home was destroyed in the storm) makes my heart swell knowing God's grace and love has never been more evident to me.

The people of Alabama are very appreciative and are firm believers in what has happened as purpose and meaning. I will never be the same again.

Day 4 - Robin

Hello everyone!

The trip has been awesome! Today we worked hard and got the house completely demolished!

As we were leaving the work site a man named Chris drove up. Chris is the son of James who is the owner of the house we demolished, and he was in the house the night the tornado struck. Chris talked about his experience and how life has been since the storm. Before we left, we had the privilege of praying with Chris and asking God to comfort and sustain him. Imagine how hard it must be for Chris, James, and their family to lose their house and 40 years of memories. Please be in prayer for this family as they begin to rebuild a home and make new memories.

Here's another interesting story. After we finished demolition, a dirt devil blew right across where the house used to stand. It was ironic to watch this "mini tornado." I haven't yet figured out why this moment was so significant to me today, but I'll keep thinking about and get back to you.

Here's what I've learned so far:

1) Cherish every day and take time to enjoy the little things....you never know when those little things won't be around anymore.

2) Life is about giving back. It brings me so much joy to pour love into the lives of the people here in Tuscaloosa. I'll never meet most of them, but I give them my love through the work we've been doing.

3) Take time for people. Most of the people here just want to talk and tell their stories...they want to be heard. Have you taken time to listen to someone today?

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for your prayers...please keep them coming!

Robin :)

Day 4 - Bev

We demolished the house!!! After working a hard grueling day manually to demolish the house, they rented a front end loader and he helped us take the house down. I cannot speak for everyone but I think I can say we have never sweat so much and for me, I have never worked so hard.

Alabama residents are so extremely grateful of our help. We have heard so many stories. Miracle stories.

The story of a man who had just gotten off work and was headed home. He knew the storm was bad and he called his wife. His wife and kids were in their house. When his wife answered, he could hear the wind in the phone and then he heard his kids scream and he was cut off. He worked his way through all the debris and rubble to get to his house and it wasn't there. The tornado had moved his house with his family close to the school. The house had split and he found another section of the house in another direction. He found his daughter in that house. His wife and other kids were in the other part of the house. Their were all ok.

Another family told of how an oak tree saved their lives. The grandmother had lived in her house for 51 years. She watched an oak tree grow for 51 years. When the storm came, she gathered her grandkids and they ran for the bathroom. The oak tree fell on the house. The branches fell over the bathroom and protected it. The tornado blew the rest of the house away.

Tonight in worship, a pastor reminded us that God told us we would have troubles. But God is always with us. God is always there to comfort us.

Tuscaloosa Day 3

The tornado damage looks like a war zone. The damage is hard to understand. One house sits untouched with everything around it devastated. The path of the tornado goes for miles. This particular tornado was one mile wide and six miles long. Tuscaloosa had several tornadoes in the Spring. We were assigned a house to demolish. The insurance company totaled the house but did not pay enough money for the demolition. You will see the before picture and the after picture of what we did today. The heat is excessive. We have decided that we will not complain about our Texas heat again. The man that owned this house lived there for 40 years. He raised his family there. His wife died there. He has a little dog for his companion. The tornado carried the little dog one mile away and stuck him in a fence. The poor little dog stayed there for 3 days until someone found him. He was hungry and thirsty but he was nourished back to health. His owner was so excited to have him back. He is the little dog in our group picture in front of the house.

Hopefully, we will finish the house tomorrow and move to another. We have the opportunity to join Habitat for Humanity to build a house.

We do not have internet service or phone service where we are staying. We are staying at a church way out in the country. We are in McDonald's, in the cool air conditioning to post this blog.

Now, we are headed back to the church where we will have worship.

Thank you for your prayers.

Tuscaloosa- Day 1

Day 1 was a travel day. We are sleeping on the floor in FBC Whitehouse tonight. We will travel all day tomorrow to Tuscaloosa. We are so thankful for FBC Whitehouse allowing us to stay here.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Sunday, July 31st, FBC Seminole will send 8 people to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We will be involved in the May tornado disaster cleanup and working with those affected by the disaster. Please pray for these: Randy Clay, Wayne and Sharon Apple, Robin Renfrew, Cynthia and Hanna Hand, Rhonda Coats and Beverly Mills.

The team will join up with 60 other Texas Baptist volunteers in Tuscaloosa. We will return to Seminole on August 7th.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Team 3 Day 5 Cheryl

We only worked till lunch today. That means we only went to one village this morning. We did deliver food to 53 families. Cary and I got to visit the schools while Valerie registered families. The teachers there who work for the government haven't been paid in a long time. Yet they still go into the villages to teach. What dedication to the students. After the visit Cary and I help pass out the corn and beans. One of the teachers said that everyone in the village was excited about the food distribution today. They even work on the roads so we can get the trucks into the village. Once again, the Chorti are so gracious.

We are heading by bus to San Pedro Sula to stay in a bed & breakfast tonight then catch a flight to Houston. I tell you what, I thought Dallas driving was bad!! San Pedro Sula drivers are ruthless!!

Please don't stop praying for the Chorti people. And for Steve & Audrey who try to help them in more ways then you can imagine.

If like me you aren't sure how to serve, talk to Tami or Jase and they can guide you.

Thanks for all the prayers!

Team 3 Day 4 Cheryl

Happy Birthday Mary Collins!!!

I can't tell you how amazing Audrey, Mary & even Steve are in their service!! Please continue to pray for them. They do more than just distribute food. They truly take care of the people here.

Today was hot! And I'm hoping for rain tonight to cool everything down!!

Thanks for all your prayers!

Cheryl

Team 3 Day 4 Valerie

Where has the time gone? We have to leave for San Pedro tomorrow afternoon so we will only be able to visit one village in the morning. So many faces today looking to us for help, but it's not us..........it's God. He is working out so many details: allowing us to get to villages, preventing accidents or problems with bad roads, providing funds for more maiz and frijoles and allowing us to bless the Chorti with food to quench their physical hunger. We have also attempted to briefly feed them spiritually with testimonies and Bible stories. I have been blessed by the humility and graciousness of the Chorti, and they will be burned even deeper into my heart. I will be back to Honduras........I don't know how or when, but I feel that God is pulling me here.

Thank you for all of your prayers. My knees have not been an issue at all, but I haven't had to walk like Trish and Team 1. No one has been "baptized" (like Trish), but you need to ask Cheryl about the pictures with the monkeys.......there's definitely a story there. She has been lots of fun as a roomie and definitely in her element working fr the Chorti. She just jumps in and gets busy whether it's hoisting sacks of corn or loading bags of beans. It's been awesome seeing her meet the Chorti for the first time.

Cary is doing great. Every time I think of him reaching over and fastening his seatbelt, I giggle. Of course that's just to get past the seriousness of the situation. It could have been WAY worse, but again, God protected our Team and sent the Chorti men and Steve's wench to pull the vehicle back on the road.

We have new family from North Carolina.......along with Audrey and Steve, I now know Kyle and Nick. God has given them a strong testimony, and it was such a blessing to hear them tell them to the Chorti. It's also been awesome being here with Mary. I love hearing stories about how this ministry began. She and Billy forged the trails that we're now walking on to get to the Chorti. She has such a heart for everyone in Honduras.

Love to you all. I'm so sad about leaving with so much more to do, but I know that God will provide everything needed to get the food to the Chorti.

See you soon,

Valerie

Team 3 - Day 3 Cheryl

For all you rooster fans.....he's still alive! He is getting better about sleeping in-3:30 AM.

I have learned a lot of things the past 2 days. One, I can lift bags of maiz & frijoles in a dress!! Another thing is how gracious the Chorti people are. Village after village has gathered us together after we pass out the corn & beans to thank us and hug and kiss our cheeks. I can't tell you how many times I was hugged and kissed today. I couldn't tell you what they were saying, but from the smiles on their faces I know they were saying thank you.

I'm hoping that the video of the children singing in Chorti can be veiwed. Remember who's doing this blog. Haha!

Please continue to pray for safety. We did slide one wheel off the "embankment" and got stuck. Steve asked Cary to stay in the truck, so Cary put his seatbelt on. Kyle, Steve, & I baled out! Poor Cary. Cary was allow to get out once we had a rope tied to the truck. We had several men pulled the back end of the truck and straighten it up. It wasn't funny at the time but now it is.

Thank you for praying for us. Also, thanks for praying for Trevor. It's hard for a momma to leave the country when her son is having surgery. I know without a doubt that God-The Great Physician, will heal, protect, & comfort Trevor while I'm here.

Thank you for all the prayers,

Cheryl

Team 3 - Day 3 Valerie

God is so good. We delivered food to 83 families yesterday and 84 families today. I hope you are able to see the pictures. I took one of a Chorti man picking up a few kernels of corn that had spilled from his sack. Every kernel is precious! Just like every person on the face of the earth is precious to our Savior. We have much more to do, but time will run out on us before it is done. Please be praying that people be provided to continue/finish the food distribution. The villagers are so appreciative, but there are many more who will need food delivered soon.

We also need to pray for funds. There is no more money at this time, and there are still villages that have received nothing. I know that God will provide! He is mighty and in control. I have been very humbled and blessed time after time. I realize that we are very spoiled, and I pray that I appreciate even more the many blessings I have in the U.S.

Love to you all!

Valerie

P.S. Reagan made it to Gulu, Uganda!

Team 3 - Day 2 Valerie

Oh my.........as we were handing out food I was thinking, "This is enough food for a month?". We handed out corn and beans. Each family received an amount based on how many people are in the family. Some received more and some less, but as each walked away I just kept praying that God would continue to provide for the Chorti until they are able to take care of themselves. The pictures tell the stories (as soon as we figure out how to download those from today!). There are smiles on the children and adults, but the eyes tell a different story. Please continue to pray that we are able to make it into the villages......it is raining A LOT. We barely made it out of San Isidro today! Sure do wish we could seen some of this rain your way, but I stand on God's promise that it WILL rain in Seminole!

The team here is awesome. We had a young man and his son walk up to the house this morning asking if they could do something. They are from Oregon and are in Honduras seeing the sights. The man's son, Justin, joined us and entertained the children with an awesome juggling show! The giggles and laughter showed how much the children and adults enjoyed what he was doing. God is so mighty, and He continues to provide for the Chorti!

My love to all of you. Skeet just let me know that Reagan left Amsterdam at 2:30 Texas time. She should be in Gulu, Uganda soon. I'll be on my knees for the next 2 weeks!

Take care, and thank you for your prayers. We sure do feel them,

Valerie

Team 3 Day 2 Cary

Started the day today with a 5:15 alarm. The rooster waited until 3:00 this morning before he started crowing.

Valerie and Cheryl went to the village of El Zapote this morning for a food distribution and I worked in the warehouse with two men from North Carolina, John and Farrell. They were still talking about how hard the youth from Seminole worked last week!

After lunch we all went to the village of Nueva San Isidro. The view driving up the mountain was incredible! We could see Copan Ruinas and the mountains of Guatamala. The Chorti were so gracious and thankful. It sure makes the trip worthwhile! It started to rain while we were there, so we had to leave quicker than we wanted to. John told me he was with a group one time that was there when it started raining and he didn't think they were going to make it out. They got stuck three times and had to winch out. They broke a tree and a pole.

The whole process of the food distribution is a major undertaking. Several people have been involved in the organization of the project. It will take several weeks to get to all the villages.

We will deliver to two more villages tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers! We will keep you posted.

Team 3 Day 1 Cheryl

Howdy!!

I have decided I don't like roosters! Especially one that thinks dawn is at 2 AM!! I'm sure if I had a gun I could get rid of this problem if a Team 4 comes down in the near future.

Trevor was right when he said words can't express this experience. The church service (even though I didn't understand it) was amazing. The people are so passionate in their worship. My question is why am I so guarded in my worship? Hello, David danced in the streets worshipping God!! Well, he also was naked, but still he worshipped passionately! I want to worship like that, but keep my clothes on!! I know you will be grateful for that also!

Tired, Yes. Ready to work, YES! I'll keep you posted on how things go.

Continue to pray for us and the people we will be serving.

Willing servant,

Cheryl

Team 3 Day 1 Valerie

We made it! No air conditioning on the bus for 3 hours on the winding roads from San Pedro to Copan gave me a horrible case of Motion Sickness (Cheryl took a picture!!!), but I've since recovered and I 'm ready to do God's work.

There is still a tremendous need. Audrey told me that whatever food we deliver this week will be it if more money isn't received. She has been talking to Food Organizations, but they won't commit or give her a response. The Chorti are still in dire need so please pray that funds be made available so that their basic needs can be met and all Glory will be given to God.

We attended Elias' wonderful church this morning. I'm amazed at the enthusiasm and passion for Christ in his services. I pray that everyone have the chance to hear their prayer sessions. And to think that he is unable to read.......the only thing he can read is his Bible! God works in mighty ways!

We've got an awesome team, and I look forward to getting to know our friends from North Carolina over the next few days. We got to meet Kyle's family via video skype. I've really enjoyed spending time with Mary (She and Billy are responsible for all the initial and continued contacts with the Chorti.). She is truly a blessing, and her heart is still in Honduras. I pray that they are both able to return at some point in the future.

Steve and Audrey are great! It's wonderful to have the time to catch up. We've got a very full week, and will not have any free time. We will prepare the sacks of food, deliver to designated villages, return to the warehouse, and repeat for another village. Please pray that the rain not keep us from our deliveries. The rain can damage the roads and force the Chorti to come to us instead of us going to them.

Thank you for all of you support and prayers. We can feel you lifting us up. I'm so thankful for Tami and Jase. God led them to share their love for the Chorti with all of us. I know that He used them to get me here, and now, a piece of my heart will always be in Honduras!!!

Team 3

Team 3 has arrived in Honduras! Please pray for Valerie Jackson, Cheryl Greenfield, and Cary Moring as they join folks from North Carolina to continue the food distribution. Here is a video from Team 2 of distributing the food in a village.

Obando, a man who we work with in Honduras, had a seizure yesterday. Steve and Audrey took him to San Pedro Sula yesterday. We have not heard an update today. Please pray for Obando. He is the young man who our youth raised money and bought a motorcycle.

Team 2 is about to head home!!!

Team 2 has done a great job!!! The girls have shown the fellas from North Carolina how tough Texas girls are. The team has been wet, muddy and sweaty all at the same time; sharing and receiving, loving and being loved, all because they were asked to by Christ. During this week we have seen children with expanded stomachs due to lack of food, moms doing what they could to make sure their children received food and fathers walking hours to work and to buy what they could to provide for their families. What has been shown to all of these people is the love of Christ by this team.

We can never truly tell you what has taken place and you can never fully understand what the team experienced because the smells you smell, the laughter hear and the tears you wipe are things that can not be brought home. So be ready to join a team!!

We want to do our best to share with you what all took place so here are a few numbers that might help with that.

Each family was given Corn and Beans, the amount given to each family will allow them to eat one time a day for a month.

Distribution that took place

11 - Villages

418 Families

44,350 lbs of corn (22.2 Tons)

8650 lbs of beans (4.3 Tons)

As I mentioned earlier the team worked hard and did an incredible job to share the provisions of Christ with the Chorti people. I want to say Thank You to the Parents and Family for allowing you student to be a part of this team. Thank you to the church and others for your prayers and support of this team.

In His Grip,

Jase

Kenzie-Thursday

Hola! Esta semana ha sido una experiencia increíble!( This week has been such an incredible experience.) I have had a chance to see a foreign country, meet a new group of people, work on my spanish, and most importantly spend time focusing on God and doing his work. I came here not knowing what to expect and with the food distribution it was something new to everyone. I had a chance to go into about 9 different villages this week and in each village I meet children and adults who know what it is like to live without. For the first few days I played with the kids and they love to play. In one village we gave the kids balloons and you would have thought it was Christmas they had a blast. Also the adults were some of the most friendly people I have ever met, even though they have so little they always have a smile. The next few days I helped load and unload and reload and unload food again. It made me appreciate the things I have and the effort put in to obtain them. There was one Native man who helped us do all of this named Pablo; he probally lifted twice as much as all of us but never once did he complain or ask for a break he was always asking us if we were ready to go. It made me think twice about complaining or mumbling.

This week has taught me many things but one of the most important is that God is in control and if it takes a food distribution to reach people with the Word of God that's what He will do. He also has a plan for all of us even if we don't know exactly what it is eventually everything will work out according to that plan.

Brittany and Jenna =)

Since Jase is forcing us to blog we decided to cheat and do it together. =P Well, when we started out this week we really didn't know what to expect or what God had in store for us. As most of y'all know this week we have helped with the food distribution project. We were able to go into a few villages and see what their lives actually consist of. Which to the majority of us is nothing. Chickens and scrawny dogs were everywhere. Definitely, not your average houses either. Their work ethic was quite inspiring because they work for every little thing they have and are EXTREMELY proud of it! As we are about to leave we are walking away with a new appreciation of everything we have been blessed with! We both could not praise God more for giving us this opportunity.

Kimberly - Wednesday

Hola! Today we continued to distribute food to two villages: Hacienda de San Juan & Morazon. We gave corn and beans to around 175 families. The song that keeps coming to my mind this week is "Count your blessing". I have been singing it to myself at night as I go to sleep. The Chorti people have so little and yet they are still joyful. I do not thank the Lord enough for all the things he has blessed me with that I take for granted. The people in these villages do not have the luxuries we have like a bathroom with running water. We will go to three villages tomorrow and will work in the warehouse bagging the corn and beans. Please continue to pray that the physical and spiritual needs of the Chorti are met.

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

Garrison blog

Tomorrow morning we will be starting the food distribution. We will be taking food to people in 3 villages that have next to nothing, especially when it comes to food. Out of 70 villages, we have received lists from 27 villages, totaling 1007 families and 5260 people. This is already almost 1000 more people than the last food distribution, which took place in 2007. In 2007, it required just over $62,000. We are going to need even more financial support this time, considering there are more people starving and a longer period of time to do the food distribution. It's expected we will have to continue this food distribution through September.

Micah--Sunday

Hola! The weekend has flown by and we have had time to relax and see some of the sites around Copan. This morning we went to church in a small village named Otuta. Including our group of 14 there was a total of 45 people in attendance. Pastor Elias preached out of the 12th chapter of 1st Corinthians (Unity and Diversity in the Body.) Mason sang a few songs and the Chorti were amused and seemed interested in the American we he played the guitar. He did a good job although the guitar wasn't in the best condition. Jase talked a little as I did my best to translate. This afternoon we went to the bird park and saw many native birds to Honduras. Each of us held 3 Macaws and it was pretty funny! The girls were a little apprehensive at first but we all got pictures for everyone back home. We are ready to get started with the food distribution! Some of us are going to the villages to register families for food while the other part of us are going to load the trucks with the bags of corn and beans. Our goal is to get to 3 villages by the end of the day! Pray that we meet our goal and have strength to finish the week!

Mason's Video Blog

Hey there! Mason here. Today was our first full day in Honduras. We spend the morning at the ruins and then Micah, Garrison, Jase, and I went and helped pour corn (maize) and beans (frijoles) into sacks to be distributed for the Chorti people. I will be blogging via video today and continue throughout the week. Enjoy!

Team 1 is headed home; Team 2 in Honduras

Team 1 is in the air right now flying back to the states. Take time to read their blogs. God used them in some incredible ways and He also changed their lives forever through this experience.

Team 2 flew out of Midland this morning at 5:30 and has already landed in San Pedro Sula. Please pray for these team members.

Brittany Farmer

Jenna Johnson

Bailey Waller

Kenzie Perryman

Mason Caviness

Garrison Jones

Kimberly Clay

Micah Clay

Jase Waller

They will be in Honduras until next Friday and they will be a part of the food distribution team.

Due to the need for food distribution, FBC Seminole now has a 3rd team traveling to Honduras July 16th-22nd. Cary Moring, Valerie Jackson, and Cheryl Greenfield will be joining others from another church to help with food distribution.

Continue to pray for the safety and health of all. Pray that God works out every detail so every Chorti family who needs food receives it. Most importantly, pray that the Chorti see God's love through all.

Whitney Warren- July 8, 2011

Our time here has come to an end. It's kind of surreal that we will be back in the states soon, when not 24 hours ago we were investing our time, effort, faith and tears into the lives of the Chorti people, as they inched their way into the hearts of ours. What a breaking and humbling experience it is to enter the lives of people groups who find things like small sources of water or pieces of fruit with sugar sprinkled on it as a luxury when our expectations are taken directly to not water consumption but temperature preference and not rationing sugar to a pinch but using sugar by the cup. The seemingly minute things of America are instantly taken for granted when exposed to the sad reality of what it means to truly be in need. Yet when I looked upon the faces of these Chorti men and women, children and adults, when I felt the love and thanksgiving of their hearts, I felt like I was the one missing something, not them. We taught them stories of the Bible and the truth of Jesus Christ, but they taught me faith that can move mountains and a genuine surrender to the God who overflows with grace and mercy. I can only pray that my newly acquired perspective doesn't diminish but enhances with time, that my gaze is constantly on the eyes of the Lord and my body to His service.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." -Luke 9:23

-Whitney

Todd Warren - July 7th

Well our week has come to an end, and it's kind of a weird feeling heading back to America. So many things here in Honduras have been eye-opening... Poverty, sickness, hopelessness, starvation- yet in the midst of it all, joy. It's tough to head back knowing that all of these things are so prevalent here. It's been a great week of teaching, playing with kids and lifting homes up in prayer. Physically and emotionally draining at times, but amazing to see the hope in Jesus Christ all over the world. There is still so much to be done here, and as the body of Christ it is our responsibility to be used in bringing the hope of the Gospel. How beautiful it is to see the saving grace of Jesus Christ all over the world.

-Todd Warren

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.

Monday we went to a village called San Isidro. It seemed it was going to be a visit much like the teams I have been with in the past have done. Boy, was I mistaken! When we arrived the children came running. It is always so amazing how they instinctively know we are there for them. Before we began playing with them we went into the school and visited with the adults. Jase had us introduce ourselves and he then thanked them for having us here. When he was finished Eguardo spoke. I wish you could hear him. He is a Chorti man who God has truly provided for our mission teams. He is the human “way in” to the Chorti villages. He is the vessel God uses to allow us access to these people. The people know and respect him, and he does not mince words with them. He tells the men how to be Godly husbands and fathers, and he does it in a way that is sometimes harsh, but he always gets his point across. He is a man of conviction. He is a wonderful husband and devoted father, and is very respected among the Chorti people, even though he lives in a town and not one of the villages. I cannot understand his words, but his passion for Christ and for the Chorti people is undeniable. We gathered all the children around and played games with them. They could play for hours. Some were playing with the parachute, and others were playing soccer. There was a group playing Duck, Duck, Goose while some jumped rope. Next was a Bible Story. Our teams tell the story AND act it out. Yes, this day was going much as the previous trips I have been on. Things were about to change dramatically. Marcia, Amber, Audrey, and I went to a woman’s house. Her husband is a Christian. I couldn’t really tell where she was spiritually. She and her daughters were now going to the Catholic Church. (Amber wrote all about it in her blog, so I won’t repeat it.) About the time we finished there, we divided into groups to “Prayer Walk”. In my naïve mind I thought we would wander around the village praying out loud. For some reason I thought this would all be done outdoors. (I told you it was naïve.) Each group went separate ways. When we came to a home we would ask them if we could pray. They would then invite us in. These people are so hospitable! They WANT you to come into their homes. I think about the times I’m embarrassed when friends come over and my home doesn’t look as I would like it to.

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 5^th 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!!

I will blog about our days this afternoon. Right now I need to give you some needs!! We have a team leaving EARLY in the morning for Honduras. If God lays it on your heart to send any of these items with them, please do so:

Laptop computer

Wireless mouse

Computer paper

Peanut Butter

Ziploc bags---sandwich, quart, gallon

Gatorade

Chocolate---this is for Audrey---any woman would understand our need for chocolate!! It is about $20.00 US dollars for a bag of Hershey's here.

We are going to a village today that none of us have ever been to. Please pray that the Holy Spirit has gone ahead of us and prepared the heart of the people.

Love you guys!

Trish

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

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!

My heart is so full of things to say, but I'm going to go ahead and head back to the hotel tonight so Steve and Audrey can get some much needed rest. I am going to upload pictures, but I will post quite a bit tomorrow. Be prepared to have your heart stirred. God has really been working on me this week.

We love you and are so thankful for your prayers!

Trish

Amber-- Eye Opening

Today we went to a village called San Isidro. It was the first time I had ever been there. When we arrived, everyone in the village met in the school for what we would call a town meeting. After introductions, Jase and Steve had a chance to share our reason for being there. After that, we took all the children outside to play. We played duck, duck, goose. “pato, pato, ganzo”. They loved it. We also jumped rope, played soccer, and played with the parachute. When it was time to share a bible story with them, Audrey, Trish, Marcia and I went to visit a home across from where we were playing. I will admit I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Upon arriving we were met by a very nice lady. She is the mother of four children and her husband was attending the town meeting. She spoke openly with us. So you all will understand I need to share some background info… This is one if the first villages Billy and Mary started visiting years ago. They built relationships and God was moving. Billy actually baptized this lady’s husband. They would hold Bible studies but then the Catholic Church got word of this. The villagers stopped coming to the Bible studies. Come to find out, the Catholic church came in and told them that if they continued to come to the bible studies that Billy and Mary were holding, they would abandon them and no longer burry their dead. The Catholic Church here has a very powerful stronghold on these Chorti people. We also found out that in 2007 when the last food distribution took place, we sent food to that village. The Catholic Church said that no one from the village could accept the food, so it was left in the school. So here you have people who were starving knowingly having food to eat and were afraid to. After some time they were told it did not come from us and were permitted to eat it. Basically the Catholic Church has been blackmailing these people. The crazy thing to me is that it all has to do with money. The people give the Catholic Church money to help them when they need it. For example, when someone dies, the Catholic Church will burry them for a fee. The annual income for this village is not even $300 a year. But there are tons of villages just like the one we visited today. After we visited with this lady for a long time we split up into two groups and went on a prayer walk. We went to one home after another asking it we could pray for them. You have to understand these people do not live on tree-lined streets in an organized community like most of us live in. You hike up a mountain to each house. We were met by the mother and a few of her children at the first house. We were invited in. We entered a room that was about 8ftx8ft. She had a fire going and there was no ventilation. There was no floor and there we two small children there. One of the kids was 3 years old and was so filthy. Come to find out, he cannot walk. He pulls himself around with his arms. She wanted us to pray for her family and their crops. I was in tears by the time we left. At the next house we went to we were greeted buy several young girls. After chatting for a minute we again asked what prayer concerns they had and the oldest girl told us that they lost their mother 6 months ago. We were asked to pray for their dad and also their crops. Went we left we noticed a grave marker right outside the front door. Yes… it was their mother… At this point I am thinking I can’t go on. I am so tore up inside but we continue because God never fails and gave me a second wind. When we got to the next house we again were greeted by a lady and her 8 children. This home disturbed me more that any of the others. I don’t even know how all these people fit inside and it was barely standing. I will try to post pics. She wanted us to pray for her family because they had nothing to eat. She also wanted us to pray that their crops would grow and also for the health of her little boy. He did not look good at all. His eyeball was black and right after we prayed he excused himself and vomited in front of their “front door”. He was so sick. God totally sent us their today. We brought him back into town with us so he could go to the doctor. Things like going to the Dr. are not a big deal for us at all. We get in our fancy SUVs and off we go. But for the Chorti that have to walk literally hours into town off a steep mountain and then back up afterwards. We all eventually loaded into the back of the trucks and headed back to Copan. I could go on and on but I have rambled long enough. Please continue to pray for health and safety for the team. There is much work to be done here. Also, continue to pray for the Chorti’s crops. They are in desperate need of food. We saw lots of corn planted but that does not do anything for their immediate need. Pray for a slow and steady rain so that the corn is not washed off the side of the mountain. One last thing: please pray that through Jesus the spiritual strongholds of the Catholic Church here in Copan are broken for these sweet people. This is not to say that the Catholic Church as a whole functions in this way… but the one here has a definite control over the villagers and manipulates them, and it is wrong. Please pray.

In His Service,

Amber

Food Distribution Update

I know that I am not on the trip - I am sitting at home in Seminole, Texas but I wanted to share an update on the food distribution that Audrey sent out on Saturday. Also, listed below are the names of the villages that this week's team will be in each day. Please pray for these villages and the team.

Three men (I think they are from North Carolina) are arriving in Honduras on Thursday. They will set up the warehouse and have the corn and beans ready to start distribution no later than next Monday. Almost $20,000 has been received to start the distribution. In the previous distribution (2007), over $62,000 was used and the need this time is much greater. To feed a family of 4 (and most families are much larger than that) for a month, it will take 100 pounds of corn and 20 pounds of beans.

If you feel called to assist financially with this effort, please take your donation to the church office. Our next team will take any funds that we have collected with them on Friday.

Our team that is there now will be going into villages that have not be visited for awhile and also a new Chorti village for Steve and Audrey.

Monday: San Isidroe

Tuesday: Hacienda de San Juan

Wednesday: Barbasco

Thursday: Plan de Perico

Prayer Requests:

• 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.

Blessings,

Tami