HONDURAS 2008

Tuesday and Wednesday

2008-11-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

The second day of ministry in Nuevo Capital was more challenging because of the increased number of people we were able to help. The space we had available for evangelism was very limited, had a lot of distractions, but God was able to work through it all.

In optical on Tueday there was a young man who came in with his well-used motorcycle helmet in hand. This man's eyesight in both eyes was extremely poor, with his right eye turned in towards his nose. Dr. Johnson was able to prescribe glasses for him and the exact pair were in our supply. As soon as the young man put on the glasses the right eye straightened out and he was able to see clearly. Hopefully the motorcycle helmet will receive less use in the future.

We were also able to put a concrete floor into a local house where a family of three were currently living on a dirt floor. The family was very appreciative of the work and we prayed that God would bless this family and that this floor would significantly improve their situation.

Attached to the blog site are some pictures from Tueday and a short video of our opening praise time.

Wednesday is a day off from the medical brigades. It gives the team the opportunity to go to Rancho Ebenezer and to the new Mission house building project. It is always exciting to see how God has blessed the ministry at the ranch. Those on the brigade trup for the first time always comments on how impressed they are with the excellence with which WGO runs the children's ministy. There are currently 32 children in the program at the ranch. There are openings for three sets of house parents and three homes available waiting for the combination of parents and children.

There has been significant progress made on the new mission house even since July. The first floor concreate is complete and the structure for the second floor is well along. Pouring of concrete on the second floor should start soon.

There are also pictures from the ranch and the new mission site.

Tomorrow we head to the barrio of Los Pinos for clincs on Thursday and Friday.

We are all generally healthy, though some of us got a good workout playing soccer at the ranch.

Please pray for the people of Los Pinos and for the team.

P.S. There was almost a team mutiny as Michael Green took control today, threatening team members with a check mark system that would decide if they could ever return to Honduras. The team revolted and Michael is no longer in charge! Like he ever was! :)

A concrete floor replaces dirt and rocks

You just don't see transportation like this in Illinois or Connecticut

Progress on the new Mission House

Okay - the real Mission House

SCROLL DOWN FOR PICTURES AND VIDEOS

2008-11-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

Scroll down each day for additions to our photo and video journal. Also go to the following link for more pictures each day on Skip Moore's website

http://skipm1.smugmug.com/Travel/643321

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

2008-11-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

Mary Ellen says I hate to write. We made it up the mountain where yellow school buses shouldn’t go…I am the Co-Queen, with Mumblo, of the scabies (and now I am itching just thinking about it). She saw 68 patients today. God is good! We were God’s hands and feet today. Yeah God. (Mary Ellen is wearing a scarf to stay warm).

Tyler is drinking hot chocolate while Steve speaks on his behalf. Tyler and I had the opportunity to work in Evangelism today (they were actually assigned). What a blessing to be stretched out of our comfort zone. Our translator/collaborator was a fantastic partner. We will have no problem sleeping tonight. (Editor’s note…Steve expressed how much he enjoyed working with his son during our sharing time).

Linda said it was awesome feeling God’s presence. (Linda is all bundled up as it is in the 50’s right now).

Lynda thought it was a surreal day and is still trying to process everything she experienced. Lynda is convinced her husband will think she has lost her mind (she hasn’t) by the previous statement. Anyway, it is all good. Yes… for everyone who knows Lynda she is cold, even here. And God is good!

Now Kari gets it...there is a need both ways. The Honduran’s needs are met and we grow in our faith in the process of helping them. She found herself going from being very cautious in dental to relaxing and jumping in holding heads, cleaning teeth, even when we were not in a sterile dental office, but instead a dirty church (but sterile equipment), with a hundred people walking around.

HONDURAN VIDEO CLIPS

2008-11-03T16:28:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a mariachi band of two to entertain us while eating a spectacular meal at the El Patio Restaurant in Tegucigalpa on Sunday afternoon.

Enjoy the beginning of Day #2 of our first medical brigade as our team joins the church workers in giving praise to God before we go to work.

BLOG WORTHY PHOTOS

2008-11-03T16:21:00.000-08:00

From time to time this week we will post a picture or two that screams "Post Me on the Blog."

Here is the first of those

Another blog worthy entry

Watch your head, Kari

Looks like the economy has taken its toll on Santa here in Honduras

Happy Birthday, Honduran Style

In Honduras, you get egged and floured and soaked on your birthday. Guess who had a birthday today (November 6)? One of our Honduras dentists, Ana!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANA !!!

We Have Landed

2008-11-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Our group is a smaller one this time around (19 people); but our God is still great. Rains have shut down the Tegucigalpa airport each of the last three days. Thankfully, though, today it cleared enough for us to be able to land. However, we still await most of our luggage. We are, of course, tired from the trip; but people are visibly excited to be here and anxious to see how God will work this week both in the lives of the Hondurans as well as in our own hearts.

The heavy rains have altered our usual Sunday plans, as the Valley of the Angels is inaccessible to buses. Instead, we look forward to the opportunity to experience Central Park, the oldest part of Tegucigalpa, which will be new to all of us. We will also be joining CCI's English-speaking congregation in the afternoon.

On Monday we will be working in one of poorest areas of the city: Nueve Capital, which resides across the river. Many of the area's residents were displaced by Hurricane Mitch ten years ago, and for most it will be one of the few opportunities in their lifetime to receive medical treatment. Pray that God would pour out his love there to heal many peoples' lives.

WE'RE BACK

2008-10-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

No, we're not in Honduras yet. We are packing and trying to remember those last minute details that we always forget.

Below are the ways that you can begin praying for us throughout the week. Then keep coming back to the blog for updates each day.

START PRAYING NOW!!

Saturday, November 1

Pray for safety as we travel and that all of the luggage arrives at Tegucigalpa on time. Pray for the building of relationships among team members from different churches. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be preparing hearts to hear the gospel.

Sunday, November 2

Pray for the team as we worship at a local church in Tegucigalpa. What a privilege to praise God with believers from another country. Pray that the team is able to rest in preparation for the first day of clinic. Pray for the team as we prepare for the first day of clinic on Monday

Monday, November 3

Pray for our first day of clinic at the first site. Pray for ease of setup and that we will begin to function as a team quickly. The first day is a time of adjustment. Pray for flexible attitudes and servant hearts. Pray that many will come to faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for safety as we travel by bus each day. Pray that God will bless our translators as they work with us.

Tuesday, November 4

This will be the second day of clinic at our first site. Many more will come to receive medical and dental care. Each one will hear the good news of Jesus Christ as well. Pray that we can care for most of those who come. Each day we have to turn away people because we run out of time. Continue to pray for new professions of faith in Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, November 5

We will visit World Gospel Outreach’s Rancho Ebenezzar. Pray for the children and house parents as they strive to develop a Christian home environment that the children can model when they become adults and have children of their own. Pray for the Bridge Ministry that is seeking to take the young adults who grew up with World Gospel Outreach and integrate them into Honduran life. Pray that the team will be refreshed.

Thursday, November 6

We set up at a new site for two more days of clinic. Pray that God will protect us from Satan=s efforts to hinder the work. Pray for protection from any potential mishaps.

Friday, November 7

This is our last day of clinic. Pray that many will trust Jesus Christ as Savior and that those who have come to Christ during the week will grow in their faith as the churches follow up with these people.

Saturday, November 8

Pray for the members of the team as we head back to our homes and families. Pray for a lasting spiritual impact on our lives as a result of what God has allowed us to see and experience.

Thank you for your interest, support and prayers.

God's richest blessings

Your NOVEMBER 2008 Honduran Missions Team

LASTING IMPRESSIONS, FINAL EDITION PART 2

2008-07-26T00:34:00.001-07:00

Read through these parting thoughts as we prepare to leave for home. Enjoy this opportunity to see into the lives of each team member as they share the impact the week has had on their lives. Then enjoy some final pictures.

I think that I could write a book’s worth of lasting impressions about this trip and still have more to say. First and for most to say that this trip was life changing would be an understatement. This trip has provided me with so many amazing memories, and so many amazing new friends. I cannot accurately describe how amazing this trip is and I strongly encourage anyone who is slightly interested to take the plunge. This was without a doubt one of the best weeks of my life and I will never forget it for the rest of my life. I’m just thankful to have been privileged enough to have come on this trip with all of these amazing people who helped to change my life forever. Thank you God for allowing me to come here and experience all that I did- A.J.

I have had the privilege of handing off the duties of the blog to others and because of this I have had very little need to express what has gone on this week. I am still working on processing all that has happened and am not sure how long this will take. However, I do know that I am walking away from this week having seen God work in some incredible ways. He has broken, humbled and ignited the hearts of everyone on our trip. Personally I watched God continue to reinforce the very things He has been teaching me for some time. I was also blessed to learn how little God needs me but instead how much He wants me. So often we long to be heard but miss when we are wanted. I need not speak my mind to others but simply go to God in prayer because He wants to hear from me. I will walk away from this trip with a better understanding of how to remove myself from the equation and allow God to do what He wants. --Ryan

This has been a really neat experience. I’m ready to go home on one hand, but sad about leaving this group of people that I have grown to love in just one week. It’s so neat to see how the love of Christ draws us together! I was struck this week by the simplicity of our faith; it really isn’t complicated. I am challenged to go home seeking God each day, and trust Him each day. I want to take my life one day at a time, focusing on Him and His will. –Janelle

This was a great adventure for me. I am ready to go home and share to others how rewarding this trip is. I got the chance to wash lice out of hair, pray for a blind boy, pull a tooth, bring three people to God in evangelism, and get to hold the most precious little baby’s. I know that all these experiences will have a lasting affect on me. I have also met some pretty neat people on this trip, they are all dear to my heart. Thank you for all your prayers, they are what kept me as well as the rest of the group safe. See you all soon! - Brittany

Over the past 17 years associated with WGO, I am more aware each trip of God’s unmerited favor in allowing me to “do” this. To be used as an instrument of restoring physical vision, and in the process, pointing patients toward spiritual vision restoration though evangelism is truly humbling. Jeff Johnson

It will be hard to sum up in a few words all that this week has meant to me, but I’ll do my best. Firstly, thank you to all who shared this week with me. I loved the time we shared together, serving side by side, sharing, crying, being real, exposing our struggles and shortcomings, staying up late kicking the guy’s butt’s at Outburst☺, etc. Also, having Britt and Cliff along side me was amazing (I miss my Ally terribly thought☹). Seeing them both come away changed and closer to the Lord is a gift and warms my heart. The most important thing I am coming away with this week is that I am seeing God in a new way. I saw miracles this week that could only be explained by the power of the Lord. It changed me…I realize I have been putting God in a box, giving him human attributes instead of seeing him as the creator, the almighty, all powerful God who conquered death, parted the red sea, has the power to kill and to heal. What I gave in service this week is filthy rags compared to the glorious riches he chose to pour out on me, incomparable to any other riches the world has to offer. Jesus is all I need, thanks to his blood that has restored my relationship to my Father in Heaven, who’s love has made me whole. Katie Kroening

This trip has truly been a blessing and a gift to us that I really can’t put into words! I am so thankful for everyone who has been in prayer for us as we were shown how God answers prayer in amazing ways! Nancy Loessl

This trip has been everything we hoped for, yet nothing like what I would have originally expected. I leave here knowing everyone so much differently and considering all of the things that we have shared, I can call each a friend. This was an experience of a lifetime getting to serve God in an incredible way. I thank everyone one of the brigade members for a most incredible experience. I leave here knowing that the power of prayer is immeasurable. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us. Tony Loessl

One of my lasting impressions is that every day we saw miracles in each section, whether it be optical in giving people sight, taking away their pain by fixing their teeth, or giving them meds for any and all ailments – that God chose to put us in this place with our Honduran brothers and sisters and allowed us to be a part of it. It is a humbling experience. Some of the additional fellowship experiences in reviewing the day’s events were even more of a blessing because our team was open and transparent with each other about the struggles in our lives. I appreciate so many of you praying for the success that we had. It has borne much fruit in our lives. Thank you.
Jane Snyder

As my third trip comes to a close, the time here in Honduras has flown by. There have been many miracles, blessings and life changing moments. Every trip has been unique and this one has not disappointed. There have been angels and demons, answered prayers and salvations. Perhaps a top ten lifetime moment was the blind boy singing “Open the eyes of My Heart” in English. God was gracious to answer our prayers in amazing ways beyond our limited expectations. As I told the group tonight, I “can’t not do evangelism”. What an honor to share Christ with someone. Thank you to all those who prayed for us while in Honduras. Don’t stop, we still need to travel home tomorrow.
Diane Billing

On Thursday I was working in dental with ana and got to help pull teeth. One little girl came up and had to have a tooth extracted. I had already pulled a few teeth with ana which is not saying much because ana would basically get the tooth to the point where it is about to fall out then I would grab it with the forceps and pull it out. She sat down in the chair and did not complain at all as ana worked at the tooth loosening it for me. I then got another chance to pull the tooth. After I had pulled the tooth the little girl came up to me gave me a hug and said “thank you doctor Erik” in perfect English. It felt so weird to be called doctor after doing so little and to see this girl so happy even though she had just had a tooth pulled. I just felt so blessed that she trusted me completely with removing one of her teeth. Erik Nodland

I’m not sure what I really hoped for, but I’m so blessed with what I got. God is working so much here in Honduras and to witness him work is AMAZING! None of what I accomplished this week was by my own abilities but through his hand. Never before have I seen him more clearly than I have this week. What I would commonly call coincidences were actually him driving our team to success. There are so many examples of this being true that I cannot even explain them all. My prayer is that I can keep as strong in my faith as I am now and that God would help me remember that Heaven is for those who have him in their heart and perfection is not a requirement. I thank al of you who have been praying for us and ask that you continue to pray for the Hondurans!!! See you soon Mom, Shay, and MJ. Love you all tons!!! Hayley Prihoda

Once again, God has truly blessed me this past trip. As always, I come back to the “states” feeling that I have received more than any of the Hondurans we served. I am looking forward to using what God has shown me on this trip back at home, as I continue to grow in my faith. There is no doubt in my mind that God was with us this week, and I’m looking forward to seeing how what we experienced here will be shared and have an impact on others back at home. Thanks for all your prayers!
Susanne Johnson

I am grateful that God has continuously allowed me to go on these trips to Honduras. This trip was, perhaps, the one I have most eagerly anticipated; it did not disappoint. Part of what made this trip special is twofold: first I got to witness my cousin Ryan stepping into a leadership role here, and second I had the pleasure of watching my dear friend Emily exercise both her teaching and Spanish skills simultaneously as she taught Honduran children the gospel story. Being able to share this trip with them was a joy.
Paul Erickson

LASTING IMPRESSIONS, FINAL EDITION

2008-07-25T05:12:00.000-07:00

Our final contribution to this year’s blog will consist of those lessons, experiences and memories that will stick with us long after we have returned home. Thank you for your interest, your comments and your prayers throughout the time we have been gone.

I’ve had a few lasting impressions…most of which can be summarized in the people who I spoke with today while doing evangelism. The first is that there are people who are ready to hear and want someone to talk with them about Jesus. This actually started before the trip, however was brought home today with a man named Santos. He came in and during our conversation I asked the question “If you were to die today, are you sure you would go to heaven?” His response was a very quick “no”. I asked him why, and he said it was because he didn’t have Jesus in his heart. I asked him if he wanted to ask Jesus into his heart and he responded with a very quick “yes, please!”. I did a short presentation of the gospel just to make sure he knew what he needed to know, and had the privilege of bringing him to Christ. The second was a woman I spent about 30ish minutes speaking with today, and in that God showed me yet again that he allows us to go through situations and circumstances both to strengthen us and so that he can use us in the future. The story is too long to put here, but ask me about it some time. ☺
Love you all and can’t wait to see you!!! - Bethany Tollberg

I think I speak for our whole team when I say that there have been countless of these “lasting impressions” this week. Today I had a “helper” while I was working with the children. Michol, the son of a church worker, spent most of the day by my side, and while I was teaching, I was learning so much more from him. First, Michol brought in a package of his stickers that he joyfully passed out to the other children that came through. As a teacher, I have thousands of stickers, and I don’t give them out too generously, and yet, here was an 8 year old boy, excited to share what he had, possibly one of his favorite possessions, with friends and strangers. It made me think about the times I give out of obligation, rather than joy. Also, when I asked him what he did when he was worried, he simply said, “I pray.” How often do I think about what I can do instead of surrendering it to the Lord in prayer? Both of these lessons seem so simple when Michol is teaching them to me, and yet, I constantly have to re-learn them. I am so grateful for him.
Thanks for your prayers! I’m excited to see you! Love, Emily

My “lasting impressions” are different every trip. Trip number fifteen will be remembered for the privilege of letting my son Ryan lead the team, the unexpected reunion with Hondurans that I had grown to love from past trips and the miraculous work of God in the lives of particular people this week. There are not enough words to adequately express what an incredible week this has been. Thank you one and all for your prayers. They were answered beyond belief. Pastor Don

MORE WILL FOLLOW LATER TODAY

FYI, Ryan Erickson is back among the living. Thanks for your prayers.

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU!!!

NEW MISSION HOUSE PROGRESS REPORT

2008-07-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

The last time any of our teams had an opportunity to see where the new mission house was going to be built was shortly after the property was bought.

Things have changed a bit since then. The new mission house is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009.

The new mission house will literally and spiritually be built on a rock. The men in this picture have been hired to break up the massive rock (a part of which you can see) into smaller pieces that will be used in retaining walls and landscaping. While a daunting task, this massive rock actually is saving thousands of dollars of building expenses. It is truly being built on The Rock of Our Salvation.

This picture reminds us that God is keeping His hand of protection on the ministry of World Gospel Outreach and the construction of the new mission house. A recent forest fire raged up the side of the hill towards the new mission house site, but firefighters were able to stop the fire's progress as it reached the border of the property.

Skip Moore is on special assignment all day Wednesday and Thursday morning. More of his artistic expressions will follow tomorrow.

Keep our team leader, Ryan Erickson, in prayer. He became pretty sick today and is out of commission for at least the next 24 hours

Keep the comments coming.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS, SECOND EDITION

2008-07-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here are some additional insights into the impact that God is having on the lives of our team members

SECOND EDITION

It has been a great two days at the brigade site. I am impressed at how well people from such different backgrounds, age groups and experiences work together so well as a team. We have bonded together and have such fun doing our work -- it is amazing. Only God can do this type of thing in such a short period of time. God has given me little ones to help me not miss the one I left in Cary, my precious Audrey. I miss all of you at home. Thank you so much for letting mom go this year! ~Love Jane (aka Janelle Snyder)

I came to Honduras expecting an experience, but truly having no idea what I meant by that. Well, this has certainly been an experience; however, more than anything, it has been a blessing. It’s probably no shock but I have spent the majority of my time with the children. Not only are they adorable, but they are the most patient, kind, funny children I have ever met. At first I was extremely frustrated by the language barrier that separates us, but with time we have come to understand each other even though I can only mumble five or so words in Spanish. I was extremely touched when we left our first site today and two children (who had come to the brigade on both days) chased me down the street so they could hug and kiss me. This was AMAZING because the girl was the first person we talked to on Monday and the last to see us off on Tuesday. I have also dabbled in evangelism, and through God I was able to fumble my way through it and was blessed by each of the people that I spoke with (probably more than I blessed them). Yet, the highlight of the day (and I can probably speak for Brittany, Diane, and Susanne as well) was a little blind boy who sung “Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord” (in English). It is impossible to describe how AWESOME SPECTACULAR TOUCHING this was, but hopefully with the help of a video that may make its way around it can be partially experienced. Hehe… Needless to say he brought us all to tears! I’ve already written way too much (like always) but I want to say I love you Mommy (wish you could be here too! you are coming next year no matter what because these people are meant to know you and you to know and talk with them). Also mom I am hoping to learn Spanish!!!! Can you teach me when I get back? Love you so much! Shayna I miss you loads! Hope your permit testing went well. MJ ( I hope my mom told you to go to this site) Love you!!! I’m thinking of you tons even though I said I was going to try to not. I just can’t help it!!! P.S. Did you get your license? Lol. People need the computer so tata for now….. Miss you all, but Honduras is THE BEST! ~Hayley

I will never be able to hear “Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord” again without openly weeping, but Brittany should be the one to share the details. Just know that God reveals Himself in amazing ways and when we are not always prepared to be completely blown away. Evangelism has been a humbling experience as always. Don’t stop praying for the Hondurans we share with and for our team. There cannot be too much prayer. I miss you all. ~Love, Diane B.

The theme of this week for me so far can be found in Jeremiah 29:13 which states, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” God worked in my life today more ways than one…but two of the ways I would like to share with you. As always, I entered evangelism with a little hesitation, hoping that it wouldn’t be a complete flop. However as always, I felt stupid for thinking so… there is no doubt that God was sitting by my side. I prayed this morning that God would give me the words to say, and there is no doubt in my mind He was by my side every second. I sought God, and I found him. Second thing – I’m sure you have all ready about little boy who sang “Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord.” Well let's just say, to make this quick, God opened the eyes of my heart and once again, I found him. Okay one last thing – to give a woman her first Bible which she now can read for the first time because she received glasses…thanks Lord! Thanks for praying for the team! Love you Mom, Kristine, Peter, and Charlie (and Gunnar too!) See you soon! ~Susanne

Skip here again. I'm going to cheat (a bit) and add a second day's worth of thoughts as I sit here at 5:30AM adding photos to the blog to go along with the incredible stories above. Ryan and I have been having some side conversations as we float throughout the brigade site - adding help and prayers where needed (him) and looking for the right lens and composition (me). We've both been convinced that the Hondurans have something we lack, and two words have come up fairly often: joy and humility. Humility can be hard to define, so I'll stick with joy right now. Joy - as in finding pleasure in the simple things, as in a positive acceptance of what we have now. Happily, some of that joy comes out when we're here (a blessing of the Hondurans to us), and I'd like to comment on some of the joy I saw today. Not the joy of the Hondurans, but the joy that WE found today in the Hondurans and in the simple gifts of God. Today, I saw the joy of those laughing WITH the children whose lice-infested hair they washed. I saw the joy in the eyes of a doctor as he provided a pair of glasses with just the right prescription to a woman who had never had a pair of glasses and couldn't see two inches past the end of her nose. I saw (and felt) the tears of joy as a blind boy sang "Open the Eyes of My Heart" to those who had just prayed for him. (Crud, I'm blurry right now just thinking about it - and yes, you're waiting on me to get back to my primary computer to get the video off the camera). I saw the joy in the eyes of somebody holding a five month old baby, a baby still showing the marks of an intense umbilical cord infection. And I saw the joy of a young lady dancing in the oh-so-welcome cooling rain, pirouetting to the laughs of the children. And quite selfishly, I felt the joy of being able to walk around with a bunch of cameras capturing the smiles, the tears, the laughing, the crying, the rejoicing and the praying. And of course, the joy.

Wednesday is a "day off" as we visit the children at The Ranch. Pray for safe travel and for a renewing of our strength for the second brigade starting Thursday.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS, FIRST EDITION

2008-07-21T21:39:00.000-07:00

The first day of brigades is always a special day, both for those here for the first time and those returning to experience the joy that comes from serving others. But at the same time the Hondurans are serving us, as God blesses us through examples of patience, strength, love and undying faith in Christ. Here are some stories of our first day.

My first mission day was very exciting. I began the day with apprehension and finished with immeasurable joy at the experience that God blessed me with. After our team (Bethany, Erik, and AJ) mixed and finished a cement floor for a woman who was incredibly grateful, I had the opportunity to observe Evangelism with Cliff and eventually even participated- I can’t even begin to explain the feeling to serve the Lord. Thanks Cliff. ~Tony Loessl

Today was amazing! I had the privilege of working with Mike, Kim, and Dave as dental assistants to three Honduran dentists. We were sharing a room with the optometrists, nurses, doctors and numerous translators and even more patients, and while at first it seemed rather chaotic, the Lord pulled us together to serve His people. It is a privilege to be here with His people, serving with brothers and sisters that I didn’t know that I had. Thanks for your prayers! ~Love, Emily

I’m not sure what to say… Today was a challenging, amazing day. Our God is Awesome. I started the morning with a surprising amount of peace, and another experienced RN to help me out (which helped a lot)! I saw about 50 people today, with various physical complaints, and did my best to treat them with the medications and knowledge I have. This experience is an overwhelming reminder of how human I am, and how much I need our God. I’m excited to trust him more fully, see him work more clearly, and share his love with people here, and when I get home! Thanks for all the prayers-I feel them! I love you guys! ~Love, Janelle

When you take the time to know someone, things are sometimes worse than they seem in their lives. When you are able to give and to love, it is a great thing. Everything is exponentially better when Jesus is involved. ~ Peace out, Cliff

I am struck by the fact that every time I make myself available to serve the Lord, the blessings he bestows on me immeasurably outweigh the service I have provided for him. I am blessed beyond words in how the Lord can use someone like me to for his service. Thank you God for providing this opportunity for me. PS I miss my Alexandra! I love you honey and you are too funny, my biker, orange juice drinker. Xoxox ~Love in Christ, Katie

I had an awesome first day! It was a really great experience to work with my dad on a cement floor for an older woman. I never would have thought that someone would be so grateful for a simple concrete floor that was done in about 3 hours. After that I got to roam around and observe which was really cool. The Hondurans are an awesome group of people and I am looking forward to tomorrow. ~A.J.

I had a great time today working on putting on a cement floor in a ladies kitchen. We have an absolutely amazing view from the mission house. The people here are great, and extremely receptive to us. Hope everything is going great and I hope everything is going good back there. ~Love Erik Nodland

Today I was struck by how the Hondurans are so appreciative of little things. I helped work on the concrete floor with AJ, Erik and Tony. I also had a boy later in the day steal my camera (with permission) and go from having no idea how to work it to taking almost professional looking pictures (or as professional as you can get with a point and shoot camera). And it seemed to make his day…to be allowed to walk around with a borrowed camera for 45 minutes and take pictures of everything. And he gladly gave it back in the end (and asked me to take pictures of him). I echo it was an awesome day. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week. Thanks for all your prayers! ~Love ya! Bethany Tollberg

What a great first day! I was in the pharmacy and had the opportunity to see how all of the areas came together with such amazing teamwork! I think the thing that struck me the most today is the warmth of the faces of the Honduran people. The smiles on the faces of the children just melt your heart. I am so thankful that God has blessed us with the opportunity to be here. I can’t wait to see what else the week will bring! ~Nancy Loessl

I will start out by saying that I am so blessed to be here in Honduras. Today was an amazing day! I worked with the children, they were all so funny and sweet. I helped washing and styling their hair. It is so rewarding to see someone be so touched by getting their hair done. My Spanish skills helped me out today because I could actually communicate with them and understand most of what they were saying. Although they are small children they have big hearts. I am so excited to see what God has to show me these next few days! PS Hello wazzy I miss you like the bird misses it’s fish (lol). ~With Much Love, Brittany

I typically get my share of images of the environment, the old, the young, and even the parrots (catch that picture, B?), but today, because of the way the evangelism area was setup in the open upper floor, I was able to watch an amazing man from the Honduran church as he witnessed to and prayed with those coming to the site and especially other members of the church. Watching how he poured his heart into his prayers as he embraced those for whom he prayed I was filled with a mixture of joy at seeing Christ's love flow through him and total immaturity as I realized that compared to this man my prayers still haven't gotten very far beyond "Now I lay me down to sleep..." We come here to serve, but God brings us here to visit his other children so that we ALL can serve. ~Peace, Skip

Monday's pictures are at http://skipm1.smugmug.com/gallery/5496833_DAAg6

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we prepare for our second day at this site.

Photos now available

2008-07-21T04:47:00.001-07:00

After an out-of-our-control delay with the hosting server, photos are now available at http://skipm1.smugmug.com/Travel/561269 . These are the same photos that are being shown in the evening slideshows, so you get to see what the team's seeing. Photos from each day will be uploaded overnight, so check back daily for the latest.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

2008-07-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Keep us in prayer throughout the week.

Your July 2008 Honduras Missions Team: Tom Brauer, Matt Brauer, Diane Billing, Janelle Bossert, Don Erickson, Paul Erickson, Ryan Erickson, Emily Hirt, Tony Loessl, Nancy Loessl, AJ Loessl, Cliff Kroening, Katie Kroening, Brittany Kroening, Jeff Johnson, Susanne Johnson, Eric Nodland, Skip Moore, Cheryl Moore, Hayley Prihoda, Mike Snyder, Jane Snyder, Steve Tichy, Bethany Tollberg, Kimberly Hiser, David Henderson