Team 113 First Baptist Church Southern Pines

On May 14 arrived our largest team thus far. It was a team of 14, consisting of ten college students and four adults. There were nine new team members but it only took a few hours and they were no longer considered rookies. The whole team came excited and ready to serve the Lord. While riding to Choluteca one of the young ladies ask what village were they working in this year. When we told them Santa Cruz the young lady said we were there last year and we loved that village and the pastor. Well, that was definitely a God thing. God is always an amazing God. Because Brian, the team leader had ask earlier if they could deliver a photo of the team last year to the pastor and found out they were working in the same village. It was like a family reunion. When Pastor Guillermo saw Brian and the team members from last year he shouted "Brother Brian". How beautiful was that and the entire week was just like that moment. One of the young men, Chase, saw the 800 blocks sitting in the middle of the foundation and said we have our work cut out for us. Worked they did. Along with 8 Honduran men this group jumped right in and got started. They all picked a job and went to it. Mike and I have never been more proud of a group of young people like we were these young people. They worked beside each other and learned how to do so much. They learned how to lay block, cut block, put in a door and window, lay a floor and best of all they learned how to build relationships with the people and the children of Honduras which will last a lifetime. Each day the ladies cooked a meal for the Honduran workers while the team ate a sandwich and chips. But they all still had lunch together. Then the guys were challenged to a futbol game by the Honduran workers. Actually the teams were mixed up so I am not sure who won but once again they were building relationships as well as building a house. First Baptist Southern Pines and the men of Santa Cruz built the family of Renan Rodrigues a beautiful home. The dedication service was very emotional for all. They were presented with a family bible and a lock and key for their home. The very special part of this is they had a gift for each team member, translator and Mike and me. If you are reading this from Team 112 they gave us your gifts as well. This was a very giving community. We were all blessed to be a part of this mission group. To God be the glory for all He did in Santa Cruz May 15- 20. It was such a blessing.

Praise and Worship

Each morning before the team headed out to the job site they formed a circle and gave their day to the Lord. Everything they did was covered in prayer each day. They were blessed to share in the worship service on Sunday. They sang a beautiful Praise song called "You are Worthy" and words cannot describe how beautiful it was. Even though they sang it in English, the Hondurans were truly blessed because with the Lord there is not a language barrier. Brian gave his testimony along with Kristen, Kensley and Chase. Thank you to Carlos Bell who translated for each one. Each testimony was shared with different scripture references and stories. So after the testimonies Brian presented the church with a prayer shawl which you can see laying across the pulpit. There was 300 people who prayed for the mission trip back home and we say thank you for lifting this team up in prayer. Pastor Guillermo got up and started sharing what was on his heart. The amazing part was he referred and reflected on each testimony and scripture with no notes. It was absolutely amazing how he connected each testimony to his sermon. At the end of the service he asked if a young man Joshua would come to the front of the church. Joshua is the young man who accepted the Lord at the eye clinic the week before. Pastor ask him permission to share a little about where he came from. Joshua was a thief. He stole from whoever he could even his own family. Pastor Guillermo has prayed for Joshua a long time and Praised the Lord for his salvation. He worked everyday he could on the house this week and had a huge smile on his face. Joshua is very blessed to have Pastor Guillermo and most of all his salvation. So I ask all who reads this to continue to pray for our new brother, Joshua, and his walk with the Lord. To God be the glory.

Team 113 Chill'in

As the house got closer to being finished there was less work to be done. So our young people got creative and played with the children of the village. The young man who is getting kisses from Caitlin and Catherine is our dear sweet Arnold. He was there everyday hanging out and teaching us new songs and dances. Oh yes, I said dances. Stephanie found six little girls next door who her and some of the girls bounded with. Of course Chase and James were always entertaining us. Kristen was always borrowing the rope from the truck to go jump rope with some of the children. Melissa found her way to some of the girls and Jeannie was always sharing something she had with someone. Keansley sat one day and made about 75 bracelets to give out to the children. Morgan sat there one day and got her hair done by one of the Honduran ladies. So once again these young people were building relationships with these beautiful people which I hope will stay bedded in their hearts forever. And we must not forget our day at the beach. They got to swim in the Pacific Ocean and ride the waves. They had taken their lunch and ate under a nicely shaded picinic spot. It was a great day at the beach. Please ask James about it.

Meeting with the Honduran Congress

What an educational experience for these young people. We got back to the house after finishing the house and was excited about sleeping late the next day and heading back to Tegus. Someone came to the gate knocking and so Mike and I went out to see who was there. It was the pastor who we helped two teams ago. He had a message for us to call one of the team members. So we called Jose and he said he had us an appointment to meet the Congress of Honduras on the next morning at 10 o'clock. Well we told him there was no way we were still in Choluteca. So to make a long story shorter, this group of young people got up and was on the road by 7:30 to head back to Tegus. This is amazing group of young people. So off we go to meet the Congress around 11:30. As you can see they allowed all of us in to the conference room. This is definitely a memory we will all cherish for a very long time. Thank you Jose for sitting all this up for us and for the experience. We were served the number one coffee of Honduras. We apologized for the way we were dressed but told them we gave all our clothes away on the last day to the people of Santa Cruz. They laughed and said they wish they were dressed casual too. I want to say thank you to Roger, Barry and Courtenay for coming with the group. They were so blessed to have each of you with them this week. To God be the glory for a wonder week with First Baptist Church of Southern Pines.

Team 112 Trinity Baptist Church, House Construction

On May 5, 2010 a team of eight men and women, which consisted of two couples, mother/daughter and two men . They came to build a home for a beautiful lady named Rheina and her daughter. They had something else on their agenda we have never had before. They brought along an eye clinic which I will share with you later. They came exicted and ready to build Rheina her home. There are many jobs involved in building a home. First you need the blocks to be in the center of the foundation. Well, the ladies got to it and started moving block to the center of the foundation. Unbelievable team work took place this week. There is the sifting of the sand to make the mortar, cutting the block, building the corners up to start laying block and keeping your team members hydrated. Alot of different jobs take place when building a home for someone in Honduras. And while you are building the home you are definitely building relationships with some beautiful Honduran people. This entire family had a beautiful smile. They were humble beyond words. They cooked an awesome meal each day for the Honduran workers who worked along side the Baptist Men team. This team was very blessed to have seven Honduran men to work beside them. They put out the red carpet for our team. They brought out a table to place the water coolers on and brought the church pews from the church so the team would have a place to sit in the shade. There was a special bound built with our team members and the people of Honduras. As the roof goes up and the floor goes down we know all good things must come to an end and it is so bittersweet. The dedication ceremony is always very special and emotional for all. The Pastor of the church always share and this particular day the pastor got emotional which in turn had us all very emotional. God has provided a home for two beauttiful ladies of Honduras. Trinity Baptist presented the family with a family bible and hand knitted book mark at the dedication. To God be the glory for the great things He has done.

Team 112 Eye Clinics

On day two of their trip some of the team members set up an eye clinic in the church. This was an amazing set up. They literally turned the sanctuary of the church into an eye clinic. They used two awesome translator, Heidi and Carlos, who translated at all four stations. Yes there was four stations at this eye clinic. The first station is where the patient checks in and fill out a form with information about their eyes and their relationship with Jesus. At the first station there were three Honduran ladies of the church helping along beside Ms. Joan from the team . Once they left that station they had a sit and waited for their turn. Ken and Carolos were at the next station where they read the information from the sheet to see what the person's eye needs where. They examined their eyes and then wrote on the form what eye strength the person had and sent them to the next station where Audra, Ms. Nancy sometimes Bob (if he wasn't building the house) and Heidi. They got fitted for eye classes and if didn't need eyeclasses they were given sunglasses. Everyone walk away with something. The last station was the most important station of all. Amy and Heidi were doing this station. This was the salvation station. Amy used a salvation cube to share the plan of salvation with the Hondurans. During the three eye clincs that week there were 22 professions of faith and many rededications of life. There was one young man named Joshua, around 18 0r 19 who accepted Christ during this week. But please if you are following this blog there is more to come about him from Team 113 in the next blog. Trininty Baptist Eye Clinic gave out 332 eye glasses and 500 sunglasses. But most important they now have 22 brothers and sisters in Christ because of this eye clinic. God wants everyone to have eyeglasses. The last day of the eye clinic Mike and I had to go to the gas station to get gas for the chain saw. Well of course there was a check point so Mike invites all the police to the church to get their eyes checked and one of them comes and rides with us. When we walked in the church with about five police with us everyones mouth dropped open. We quickly explained they wanted their eyes checked too. Three of the police officers came to know Christ that day. God loves all his children. To God be the glory for providing these people with eye glasses to see and read His Word. The Hondurans got so excited when they walked out of the church with their new glasses. They could see things they hadn't seen clearly in a long time . While the eye clinic was taking place the house was still being built. So during that week Trinity Baptist built a house and performed three eye clinics. They gave up there Sunday afternoon to go to another church and so an afternoon clinic. At this particular eye clinic one young man around 16 0r so accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. So by Trinity Baptist giving up their free day on Sunday a young man came to know Jesus Christ. To God be the glory for all the things He hath done. Amen amen and amen.

Fun Times

During a week of hard work there was some time for fun. On the last couple of days when it is hard for everyone to have a job and their eye clinics were completed the ladies went and played with the children in a near by field. They had balls, jump ropes and bag races. Our translator Carlos does more than translate. He made a new friend, an iguena. Also, there was two special days that week. Amy had her 40th birthday on Tuesday so we had a Honduran birthday party for. She actually got an egg cracked over her head. This is a Honduran birthday tradition. Mike was nice enough to put the egg in a sandwich bag. Sunday was Mother's Day and they gave all of us a flower for Mother's Day. Audra also went the extra mile that day and brought a photo printer and took pictures of all the children and they got to make their mothers (madres) a Mother's Day Card. That was a huge success. The children love to have their pictures made here and to be able to get a printed copy was just more than words could describe. Thank you Trinity Baptist Church for bringing so much to this beautiful community called Santa Cruz. To God Be the Glory!!!!!!!!!!!