Team 119 Floyd's Creek, Construction

Floyd's Creek Baptist out of Forest City arrived for their tenth year to Honduras excited as if it was there first time down here. There were a few new friends who came this time who fell in love with the country of Honudras immediately. We journied through the mountains on our way to Choluteca talking of the week ahead and memories of the past years down here. It is always so awesome to share our memories from former years and how many awesome memories we all share. The place we worked out of Colonia Calleja, was about forty five minutes from the mission house and this team woke ready to go each morning to make their way to Monjaras. On the first morning they arrived we introduced the team to Ms. Lorensa Hordones. Well the next thing I saw was each team member going up to her and giving her a big hug. What a warm welcome for all. Sometime the teams are blessed and sometimes not so blessed with the block inside on the foundation. So Floyd's Creek went straight to work putting the block inside the foundation while some others were helping get the corners ready. Pastor Roberto worked hard all week on mixing the mortar along side with his son Daniel, Michael, Taylor, Gregg, and Scott. And there was probably more of the team I did not see. The team was very blessed with Honduran help as well. They joined a unity from the very beginning up to the last day. But also there was something that got their attention: the kitchen. Ms. Lorensa and her daughter Mary Lou were making the tortillas which was right in front of the area where the team could rest and also near the mortar location. The team was very gracious and allowed our daughter, Stephanie do be a part of the team that week. Daniel and Stephanie were found learning how to make tortillas. Well, Bubba, Gregg, Pastor Robert and of course Mike had to try them out. I thought oh no we may never get this house completed. They enjoyed learning about the culture of the Honduran people and being apart of all things going on around them. But the house construction continued on throughout the week and all the details were well taken care of because God was leading the way. Our famous saying that week was: "God is good all the time". They all found where they could serve best and off they went. Each day as the courses got higher and higher the team kept on working to see it to its completion. All team members at some point had mixed mortar or laid a block or whatever needed to get the job done. It got extremely hot one day even for Orfilio, Jose, Egla and Pastor G. But I read a devotional today that had me reflect back to that week where the team both North American and Honduran people worked so hard even in the hottest circumstances. It reflected on how much Christ suffered for you and me. He gave his all for each of us to have eternal life. He died a brutal death so all of us will have no more suffering like we experience here on this earth. Thank you Jesus for reminding us "We can do all things through you who give us all our strength." Philippians 4:13 Thank you Floyd's Creek for working beside your brothers and sisters in Christ in the name of Jesus. To God be the glory for all things.

Building Relationships

As I said earlier team enjoyed the kitchen area of the job site. Also they took from laying blocks, etc to meet guest who can by to watch what was going on on the corner of the village of Colonia Calleja. There was always folks stopping along this main road watching all the activities going on at Ms. Lorensa's home. There was some doing construction, some learning how to cook and some taking time to chat with new Honduran friends. At night Egla spent time with Ana, Patti, Jamie and Taylor on VBS. The girls were responsiblity for preparing the lunches each day while Paw Paw was busy cooking breakfast and helping keep the kitchen clean beside brother Scott and Pastor Robert. The team was servants to our brothers and sisters of Honduras as they served them water or gatorade as they worked. There was one gentleman that worked diligently beside the team everyday with the use of only one arm. How humbling it was to work beside this brother who never once complained but worked with a huge smile on his face. He was very quiet up until the third or fourth day and then he opened up and shared about his faith in Jesus Christ and how blessed he was to be able to serve the Lord with us that week. God is good all the time. He was our devotional for that day in real life.

VBS/Worship/Dedication

On the third day of their journey Anna, Patti, Taylor, Jamie and Daniel headed up the road to the nearby church to do VBS. They also added a little something special to VBS. They brought bible stories on the big screen in espanol for the ninos. Egla started the children in music as they got everything set up and then Daniel told the bible story with alot enthusiasm as Egla translated for him. The ninos(children) then enjoyed a time to do a craft. The house dedication was a special one for the team this year. They decided to have it outside instead of inside the house. Afterwards we realized how awesome that was because of all the people who had been around watching all week. So during the dedication those who were outside of the property got to hear the word of Jesus Christ shared and witnessed the laying of the hands on the home as the home was prayed for and blessed. Since the job site was a ways out we worshiped with a local church one night but then had worship on Sunday morning with the people of Colonia Calleja. There was over 100 children in worship on Sunday and about 10 adults. Pastor Robert preached such an awesome sermon on the analogy of building a house and all it takes to build a house and how we need to build our relationship with Christ. What an awesome sermon on how God can use even the broken pieces which means He can use all of us in some way to further His kingdom, just like the broken pieces of block fill in the holes, so can our broken pieces be used to fill up the kingdom of God. We came home to change clothes to go out on Sunday afternoon God provided us with the most beautiful double rainbows as we were heading out. God's promise is here as well as in North Carolina. WE have such a large God who provides all we need which is HIS SON JESUS. Thank you Floyd's Creek for serving our God with us in Honduras.

New Hope Baptist Church Construction and Eye Clinic

On June 24, New Hope Baptist Church of Raleigh arrived in Honduras ready to serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This group has a history of only working in the rain so of course while we were riding through the mountains of Honduras the Lord blessed this team with some rain showers. This group definitely has a good spirit and flexible attitude when it comes to workng in Honduras. By the time we arrived in Choluteca the rain had slowed down some. This did not dampen their spirit at all. We ate our chicken tacos and had an orientation to get ready for the week ahead. The village the team worked out of is called Las Cabesos and they were building a home for a 70 year old lady named Hilania Alvarado. Ms. Hilania along with four boys aging from 7 to 16, her son and an older gentleman laid one of the best foundations ever. The day we checked on the foundation was about a week out from the teams arrival. They were busily working on it. We noticed how muddy the road was to the house from the secondary road in the village. Questions started popping up "Will we be able to get the vehicles down to the job site or will the truck delivering the blocks, etc be able to get there?" Well we got our answers on the first day as the team arrived to get the project started. There was only 150 blocks and they were up at the secondary road leading to the road to the job site. So New Hope started loading the block on the back of the Toyota truck 50 at a time and taking to the job site. Oh it gets better. The truck could not get down to deliver the sand and gravel for the mortar. So we had to buy sand and rock from the older gentleman who helped build her foundation. After getting the blocks on site they started hauling sand in the back of the truck. All of these opportuntities never once deterred New Hope from moving forward. And for some reason the doors and windows did not get delivered to be taken out the first day. Satan was hard at work to keep New Hope from builidng this beautiful lady a home. During share time the first night one of the gentleman said he wanted to become less task oriented and more flexible in God's work. Well the entire team got that experience on the first day. With all that said they did get five courses up on the first day and before the afternoon rain came. While waiting for more blocks and for the sand to arrive some of the team members went down to a nearby river and watched children playing in the river and ladies washing their laundry. They took advantage of their down time and enjoyed what God had called them to come do in Honudras build relationships. Pastor G was even caught in a wheel barrel chilling while waiting patiently on the materiasl they need to build Ms. Hilaria's home. Famous words of Pastor G, "No problem". They took what they were given on that first day which was literally very little to work with and still met the goal for the first day and built relationships with each other and the Honduran people. GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME.

Worship Service

There first day of work was on a Saturday so the next day of course was Sunday and it was time for worship. In Las Cabosas there is not a church. Ms. Hilaria has Sunday School in her home each Sunday for the children of her village. Around forty children come to her home each week to worship and learn about Jesus. Ms. Hilaria is a well respected lady of her village. The adults as well as the children look up to her and respect her highly. She is the "Pillar of her Village" A Matriach is an awesome way to describe Ms. HIlaria. So we arrived after another evening of heavy rain. The team loaded up on the back of the pick up truck to head down the muddy road to Ms. Hilaria's home. Now in order to get to her house they opened up a cow pasture for the vehicles to drive through. So off we go to worship under a tree next to her existing home. We arrived around 9 to start the service. She brought out some plastic chairs for the team to sit in and as people came they were bringing their own chairs. About 9:15 there was around 20 some of us. But slowly people were walking from every direction, down different paths to come and worship Jesus together. So as most of you were worshiping in North Carolina or somewhere in the United States we were worshiping the same God as you but under a big fruit tree with our final number that morning turneing out to be 80 children and adults. Tears welled up inside of several of us as our worship experience started. It was one of the most beautiful and godly moments ever experienced. Lois, led the children's church as she shared about God giving Paul eyes to see spiritually and how she and several other ladies were there to help them to see physically with an eye clinic and to share about their spiritual vision as well. Then Scott read scripture from God's word. There was one observation we all had no one had a bible. But they were all eagerly listening to every word shared by Scott from the WORD. Egla and Gabby, the teams translators led the children in some songs which all children should know. Once again tears welled up when the children did not know the songs but were eagerly wanting to learn the words and sing along with the girls. Some things we all take for granted in life like Jesus Loves Me. I cry as I write this. God is so good to send New Hope to this precious village with such loving and beautiful people who need Jesus just like you and me. Beth and Arnold shared their testimonies before we were led in worship by Pastor Ricardo. Pastor Ricards positioned himself in the center of the group on a block and he shared the story of the the one lost sheep and how the shephard looked for his lost sheep. How we all are important to Jesus just like that lost sheep. I hope as you read this today you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you live out your life with as little or alot that you have with HIM at the center of your life. Worshiping that day under that tree was the most powerful experience ever imaginable and to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit : TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOR SUCH AN EXPERIENCE.

Many Different Jobs to Build Relationships and a Home

As well as building a home there was preparations for an eye clinic. So the ladies, Beth and Lori busily at work going through the eye glasses and preparing for Monday morning with the eye clinic which as well provided a Salvation Station which Sandy was praying and preparing for. Each team member also had other duties as well. Lois,Lori and Ray had breakfast duty and of course Ray always was making sweet tea for the week. As was shared in the Worship Service blog the people did not have bibles so the team went out and purchased enough bibles for all the families in the village to have one. One of the evenings they spent time praying over the bibles and signing their names and words of encouragement to each family. It was always encouraging to get up in the morning and seeing someone having their quiet time before their day started. There are always new and improved jobs added to the job site. This particular job the water had to be brought in from a nearby well. So little did the team know that all week the water was being brought in by Ms Hilaria and her neighbors. So off goes Arnold, Scott and Pastor Ricardo to help bring in the five gallon jugs of water. Unlike Ms. Hilaria and her friends, the guys did not quiet get the carry the water on the head concept down. But you got to give them credit for trying. Good try guys. Maybe next year. The Honudran men had mixed mortar all week and so Ron and Jerry offered a helping hand with the mixing and hauling of the mortar for the floor of the home. Thank you guys for working so hard and getting out of your comfort zone and being flexible in doing God's work. Even the children of the village were hard at work trying to get Ms. Hilaria's home completed. It took all the North Americans and Hondurans to get the job done. Two different languages but ONE GOD. AMEN and AMEN

New Hope's Eye Clinic

Lois and Beth work for eye doctors and eagerly wanted to come here and share their gifts and talents with these beautiful people. They ran the eye clinic for four days with the help of Amanda assiting Beth with the fittings of the eye glasses, Lois and Gabby checking the eyes and prescribing the correct set of glasses and Sandy and Egla sharing Jesus Christ in the Salvation station. Jon assisted in crowd control while the patients waited their turn. Some of the Honduran people had not had an eye exam before. So this was a blessing from God for so many. There was alot of sun damage, one man got stung by a bee and lost his eye sight from not getting the right care of the time of the sting. There was many more stories like his where no help provided at the time the eyes needed them. The ladies did the best they could and was able to help 135 some patients that week. There was 30 plus salvations and several rededications to Christ that week. As the week went on we decided to have a baptism for those wanting to get baptized. Thank you God for providing Las Cabasos with an eye clinic and a spiritual healing as well.

Dedication and Baptism

The last day arrives and it is time for the home dedication. Ms. Hilaria stands in the middle of her new home for the first time listening to every word shared by the different team members. She received a bible and a key for her new home. While we were having the dedication the children were outside playing ball. The voices of the children having fun in her backyard was just priceless. As the dedication came to an end everyone placed their hand on the wall of the home as the prayer of dedication was said over her home. There will be many children and adults who will enter this home and learn more and more about Jesus by the way Ms. Hilaria lives her life. What an example of true Christian hospitality by such a godly woman. Thank you Ms. Hilaria for teaching us how to share Jesus with each other and others as well. Well after the dedication those who wanted to get baptized piled on the pick up truck and off we went to a nearby river where Pastor G and Pastor Ricardo baptized four young people and we all shared in singing the hymn "No Turning Back". This was the most amazing GOD MOMENT all week. Thank you God for allowing New Hope to serve you in Las Cabasos and for putting Ms. Hilaria in each of our lives.