Hola Por Ofrilio

Orfilio Garcia is one of six employees working for North Carolina Baptist Men. He has been employed with the mission for fifteen plus years. Mike and I have know him ten of the fifteen years. He has a beautiful godly wife, Naomi and two beautiful daughters, Elizabeth and Lizzy and of course his dog Belle. And he loves parkeets. No he does not love them he is obsessed with them. One day we were accessing a job which is one of his job duties, is to assist us with this, he saw a parkeet way I mean way up in a tree and we totally lost him. I said world to Orfilio we are assessing a job here. That was one funny moment. His hobby is working in his yard and planting flowers. He has a very beautiful yard and home. His job duties consist of watching and protecting the property of the mission house when there is not a team on site. He sacrifices his time from his family to as he says:"Serve my God. No problem." He loves working for his God which is of course our God too. He takes his responsiblities of the mission very serious. Once last year we had several days of rain while there was a team building a home. This particular Sunday afternoon we were sitting around playing games when someone came into the gate on a bicycle in the pouring down rain. This person was Orfilio. He said we needed to evacuate immediately because the river was swelling behind us. As we were leaving Orfilio was setting up a ladder so in case he had to get up on the roof he could. He would not leave the mission house to after the rain subsided. He is very dedicated to his job and to his God. Are we that dedicated to our job and our God? He does many behind the scene activities which is a vital part of the ministry. The bags of ice and water jugs are always there available the day a team arrives. Thank you Orfilio for always providing us with plenty of ice and water. When Mike and I have to go to the market we do not go without our body guard, Orfilio. He is very protective of us and watches our surroundings at all times. He enjoys life to the fullest. He always has a smile on his face that radiates whoever he is with. He is a very devout Christian and loves serving the Lord in whatever capacity we need him to. In the last eight months Orfilio has started working on the construction teams helping with the building of the homes. He has enjoyed getting dirty and helping someone get a home. Words could never express how much Orfilio means to North Carolina Baptist Men. He definitely goes beyond the call of duty. Another famous quote Orfilio and I share "God is good all the time".

Team 107 College Students Spring Break and New Friend Marty

On March 6, 2011 God truly blessed the people of Honduras but I believe the North Americans were more blessed by far. A group of college students chose a mission trip to Choluteca, Honduras for their spring break vacation. No they did not come to build a house but to build up God's kingdom by evanglizing. There was a special twist to this group of eleven young people. They were gracious in allowing a seasoned young man named Marty Carty to join their team. God definitely ordained this team of twelve and all that lie ahead for Team 107. First of all flexibility was a huge part of their ministry here. They arrived at the airport and we had to wait about thirty or so minutes on our driver Jose, who drives his church bus on Sundays. they sat and ate their bag lunch in the shade of one of the buildings in the airport parking lot. Once Jose arrived off we headed to Choluteca, Honduras. There was about five of our team members who have never been out of the United States. This is always so exciting for us to see Honduras in their eyes for the first time. All the awesome questions which are asked. It refreshes Mike and I and how our passion started for these beautiful people ten years ago. We arrived safely in Choluteca and everyone pitched in to unload the food and whatever else needed to be done and settled in for Orientation and pizza for dinner. Monday morning everyone was up early having their very own quiet time while there were three cooking breakfast and two making lunches. Also there was a couple of them making up the gatorade. Before they left each morning there was a devotional and prayer time. Day one they headed out to meet with Pastor G and we were not going to his community but to another one and the church was called Light and Life Baptist Church. No this church was not built by NC Baptist Men. It was built by Pastor G's church and it has taken two years to build this church and they are still in the process of hooking up electricityand finalizing the church. The college students were the first evanglism team to go into this community to share the gospel for the church. They arrived at the church and broke into groups of three. Pastor G had the young people of his church and the Light and Life church there to go out with our young people. Before they headed out they all got together in the church and prayed for the morning ahead. One of the times the young people showed flexibilty was one of them teams did not have a translator due to a couple of reasons. So they really had to allow on the Holy Spirit to get them through the morning. The first morning Pastor G went with the group without a translator. Our young people was blessed by observing the servant and compassionate heart Pastor G exhibits in his life. Several times this week they shared how this was their training ground. As the week went on God was truly at work in each and everyone on this team. Amber one of our young ladies on the team was told she was going to have to translate for the team since we were minus a translator. She said please let her shadow Egla, our translator, the first day just to get a feel for it. Amber said her Espanol was not that good and she did not feel comfortable doing it. Well, let's just say Amber was one of the lead translators by the end of day two. Thank you Amber for allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you this week and do amazing work. Oh yes, Kaitlin, thank you for allowing God to work through you this week when you had to use your espanol when Chais prayed. Awesome job Kaitlin keeping up with Marty Carty when he was sharing the gospel. Job well done ladies getting out of your comfort zones. God is good all the time.

VBS and Fotbul

Thank you God for the young people and Marty who is truly young at heart. Mike and I pulled up at Light and Life Baptist Church and there was children everywhere. The evangalism teams had been telling the people of the community about VBS and fotbul at 1:30. The count was around 175 to 200 children in the church on Tuesday afternoon. They made butterflies and shared the salvation story. They made bracelets with the children. Stefanie thank you for all your hard working coordinating VBS for this week. There was small groups all over the church with the North Americans and Honduran children sharing stories and laughter with one another. There was a couple of small groups praying together for the John and Caitlin who were sharing during the worship service that day. Then off to the fotbul field, a huge fotbul field where all you could see was children. Never knew who won but they all had fun building relationships which not one person can take away from them. The children and adults of Honduras are the most amazing and caring people God has created. They love Jesus and it shows in all they do. Team 107 learned so much this week about hospitality and unselfish love. Thank you Honduras for always teaching us how to truly see Jesus in the lives of others. To God be the glory.

Sharing the Gospel

After the fotbul game some of the children stayed for the three o'clock worship service. It was mainly the adults of the church. The group shared in music before the service began. Kaitlin shared her personal testimony about you cannot find joy in friends, school or stuff. Her true joy comes from personal realtionship with Jesus Christ. Caitlin's testimony was full of words from the scripture where she never once looked at notes or her bible. Caitlin has God's word engraved in her heart. John was the one preaching. He shared our only love should be the love of Jesus and nothing else should matter. Not what we have or don't have but truly only JESUS CHRIST. All the things of the world are great but it does not fulfill our deepest needs. Only Jesus Christ can do this through his blood he shed on the cross for you and me. John had young and old alike listening to the Word of God. Those of you reading this now, it does not matter your age or your status in life all that matters is your desire to share Jesus with a lost and dying world. These young people have shown their love for Jesus with such boldness and determination this past week. It is obvious the time spent in prayer and the gathering of their thoughts from God's word to be able to do what they have done this past week. They were quoting scripture without their bibles in hand. I have learned so much this week from this group of young people. I feel personally like I have been in a week long revival. 1 Timothy 4:12 is a beautiful verse to describe this team.

Preparation for Evangelism

There was so much to do behind the scenes to get ready for each and everyday. Those parents reading this we have some young men and women who can cooked some awesome pancakes and bacon and scrambled eggs. Chais came with his job duty chart already done and placed it on the fridge in the kitchen. Each one knew each day what they had to do to make their day possible. Some got up at 6:15 each morning to cook breakfast. Mike and I said, "They will probably eat cereal all week." They had cereal one morning because there was no electricity that particular morning. We have to have electricity to wash dishes. Oh my goodness, James and Caitlin can cook some awesome pancakes. I thought Mike had cooked the bacon oh no that was James. Way to go guys. One morning Egla, Marty and Bruce cooked a typical breakfast. A typical breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, avocados, fried beans, sausage and plantines with crema. Wow, it was really amazing how well all that came together. Well while all our chiefs are making a mess in the kitchen someone has to clean it up. Thank you Sam for giving the stove a major spring cleaning. Sam and Kate thank you for washing down the tables. No Rosa thanks you. One morning Tommy D was collecting cups and I asked him why was he doing this. It was not his morning in the kitchen. He commented how long it was taking two to clean so he thought he would help speed up the process so they could get together on time to pray before they left. Folks I witnessed this act of servanthood all week from them. They were always taking care of one another and will to do whatever it took to get the job done. Marty Carty helped with breakfast several mornings. Kate and Stefanie thank you for always knowing or thinking what we need to do to make it all come together. All of you set the example of putting God at the head of your day. You all were in the dining hall but you were all having your time with God, journaling your thoughts and reading God's word. What an example for those of us who need to also be putting the Lord at the beginning and end of everyday. Our share time/ devotionals each night could last anywhere from one to two hours. It all depended on how the Holy Spirit led the group. Branden your honesty was absolutely beautiful and how you used it to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by us being his servants. We are all servants of the Lord when we share with the least of these. Amazing job my friend. The God moments which were shared each and every night was absolutely amazing. It was not how many was led to the Lord but how God use their situations to glorify HIM and not them. A God moment is exactly what it is about God and how HE can use our lives to serve HIM and to bring the lost to HIM. We all need physcial food to survive each and everyday. When we sat down to eat a meal each day there was always the spiritual food sitting somewhere on the table. What an awesome testimony of who God is in our lives. We need physcial food to survive but if we don't have our spirital food we will truly starve from what we need the most:JESUS and his grace and mercy. One of our quotes this week was last is first and first is last out of Matthew. OOPS Kate you are in big trouble. Kate was always first in line to eat so I heard. We still love you Kate because you were definitely last in other details of the week. Those of you who are parents reading this blog and you had a child in Choluteca, Honduras this week with NCBM you should be more than proud of your child. They exhibited Jesus Christ in all they said and did this week. We give God the glory. These young people are our future and what a godly example they are setting for the rest of their peers. God is good all the time.

Worship Service

On Thursday night we worshiped with Pastor G's church family. There was a full house of children and adults. The team had evanglized two and half days in Pastor G's community. The church service started out with singing praises unto the Lord. We may have a slight language barrier going on but we all still serve and worship one GOD. The team was ask to sing for the congreation. They sang a song and then was ask to sing one more. So they chose Amazing Grace. After they sat down Pastor G ask the church to join them in singing Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace in two languages at one time is exactly what it is Amazing Grace. Beautiful job Team 107. Remember at the beginning of this journey when Amber found out she had to translate and said she was not capable of doing this. There was two testimonies before the sermon Thursday night and Amber was first. She walks up there and takes the microphone and started sharing her testimony in espanol. Oh our God is so big when we allow Him to work through us. Amber what a beautiful job of obedience to Jesus Christ and what the Holy Spirit can do through us when we allow it to. God is soooooooooooo good all the time. Then we have Tommy D get up there with Egla to translate for him. He got down there on the floor with them at their level and shared from his heart what God has done in his life in the last year and a half. There was plenty of young people out in that congretation who heard Tommy that night and I pray if they are struggling with anything in life that Tommy's testimony will give them hope. Our God is more powerful than anything we can have or do. JESUS is once again all we need in life to have the fulfilllment which is overflowing with joy, peace, grace and mercy just to name a few. Thank you Tommy for sharing from your heart. Last but not least was the Roman soldier named Marty Carty. Marty shared from Ephesians 6 about the Armor of God. Marty's visual with shield, the breastplate, the helmet and last count the twelve swords was definitely an attention getter. The church members, especially Pastor G was trying to keep up with the scripture passges he referred to while sharing about all the challenges we have in life and how we have the Armor of God to protect us daily if we only put it on. What a beautiful demostration of how God equips us with His Word if we will only allow him to do so. Yes as Marty said there are going to be opportunties in life that seem unbearable, people we know who are unlovable and just day to day stuff that seem unbearable. But as long as we start everyday with Jesus' armor on we can stand any of the devil's schemes. During the evangelism team's ministry this week over 200 people came to know the Lord or rededicated their lives to Jesus Christ. God use Team 107 as his instruments this week in spreading the gospel whether it be door to door evangelizing, VBS, singing, futbol, testimonies, sermons or share times at night. God was truly at work with all twelve members and whoever lifes they touched this week. There is a scripture in the bible I feel describes this evangelizing team and it is out of 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I was reading a devotional one more out of My Uptmost for His Highest and this was the scripture reference and I immediately thought of this team. The title of the devotional was "Being an Example of His Message". This past week each of you has truly been an example of His message. Thank you for getting out of your comfort zones and come to Choluteca, Honduras to share what is a passion in your heart and in your lives to our brothers and sisters of Honduras. Out of Acts 1:8 it says "You shall be witnesses to Me in Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth". Thank you Team 107 for coming to the ends of the earth. The people of Honduras have been blessed by your presence and I am sure you will all agree your lives will never be the same again. We love you all very much but remember God loves you more.

Mount Olive Baptist - King NC, Home Construction

On February 23, Mount Olive Baptist Church returned to Honduras to build a home for Alexis, Ana, Alexis wife, two daughters, Raquel and Keren. They lived in a village called Santa Marta. Before starting the construction they gathered around and pray for the day ahead. This trip was a first time for eight of the team members. But they were eager to learn what it took to build a home in Honduras. The Honduran way and the American way of a home construction is quiet different. The Mount Olive team were ready to learn a new method of home construction. Pastor G, our construction team leader gave a lesson in how to lay the mortar and then how to place the block on top of the mortar. The team prayed for the first block which was laid by Alexis. By the end of the first day they accomplished the goal of getting five courses up. Way to go team. They also learned how to cut the blocks, fill in the spaces between the blocks and mix mortar for the laying of the blocks. As the week went on the team did what it took to build the home. Each team member found their particular job and they worked hard to get it done. They had five Hondurans who helped them with the building of the home. While they were building a home they were building relationships with the people of Santa Marta. As the week went on they came across an opportunity. Each day there were dump trunks coming in and going to the back of the village. By Saturday they were getting closer dumping rocks to where the team was working. After lunch on Saturday the team went back to the village and they had to park at the main road and walk a mile back into where the home was being built. So the rest of the time they walked to and from about a mile each way carrying all their building supplies, coolers, etc. But not one time did anyone on this team complain about their journey through the cow pasture to get to their job site. Thank you team for a job well done.

Sharing God's Word

Each evening the team shared their thoughts of the day and had a time of sharing God's Word as well. It is always amazing how beautiful these evenings turn out when the team comes together and allows the Spirit to move in each of them and share from their heart the experiences of the day. They also did Vacation Bible School with the children. They did dramas of Jesus' life here on earth. The Honduran children and Americans learned the Honduran Chicken Dance, sang Honduran songs and made the salvation necklaces with the children. There was over 100 children who came to the two day Vacation Bible School. After Vacation Bible School they all were given Salvation Dolls made by the ladies of Mount Olive Baptist Church. They spent several afternoons at the futbol field as well. Thank you Mount Olive Baptist for sharing the love of Jesus with the children of Santa Marta. God bless each of you.

Home Dedication

The home dedication is always a special time for both the family and the team members. Pastor Randy shared some scriptures from God's Word during the dedication. Alexis thanked God first for his new home then he thanked Mount Olive for coming here and helping him build he and his family a home. The team gave each family member a bible. The closing was the laying of hands on the walls of the home. Pastor Randy prayed for Alexis and his three beautiful girls new beginning in their new home. Keren, his youngest daughter, enjoyed looking through her new bible. Alexis has a beautiful smile and it was radiant the entire week but more so as the home was being dedicated. To God be the glory for all He did this week to make all of this possible.

The Last Day

The last day the team parked the vehicles in the cow pasture. Mike and I came out for the dedication to find the rock piles were coming down the path getting closer to the end of the road. The team and the vehicles were getting blocked in. We called for Jose, the driver and Steve, one of them team members to get the vehicles out before they couldn't get them out. So at the end of the day once again the team traveled through the cow pasture to get to the vehicles which were at the main road. Thank you Mount Olive for not letting anything get in the way of doing what God has called you to do this year: build a home for Alexis and build relationships with the Hondurans and with each other.