Team 130 Memorial Baptist Church Greenville NC

On November 30 Memorial Baptist Church arrived to finish out our 2011 year with North Carolina Baptist Men's ministry in Honduras. We say thank you for coming in December when this becomes a busy time of year for most of us. Thank you for responding to God's call to come and serve HIM through the beautiful people of El Carrizo which is in the outskirts of Choluteca. The first day the team drove down a dirt and rocky road about four miles to one of the most beautiful areas God has ever created. Their job location was off the beaten path of El Carrizo. The family of Mercedes was the last home in this eight home village. Her adobe home was nestled under several huge trees which provided shade the entire week for the team. In December the temperture drops about twenty degrees which was quiet comfortable for the North Americans who came expecting extremely warm weather. On the other hand the Hondurans were chilly from the drop in temperture. They were wearing sweaters and socks with their flip flops.

The team began building relationships as soon as their feet hit the dirt. Ed, team leader and Bonnie, his wife, were greeted with a huge hug from Pastor G who remembered them from last year in April. This is always so amazing how the people of Honduras remember us after a period of time has lasped. The team introduced themselves as well as the people of the village. We all gathered and held hands as we prayed for the week ahead and all God had in store for each of us. Each person found where they could work and serve as the morning progressed. Once all the corners were put in place and the mortar was mixed up for the laying of the first block the team gather around placing their hands on Mercedes and each other until everyone was connected and then Keith prayed over the first block and the Mercedes' family and the people there to assist in building her a home. By the end of the first day there was five courses up and running and relationships building. There was quiet a few Hondurans there to participate in the building of Mercedes' home. Some had received homes before from North Carolina Baptist Men and others eagerly and patiently awaiting for one day they too will have a block home where they will not get wet during the rainy season.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13:34

Ladies Your Husbands Can Cook and Clean

As the week progressed each team member took turns cooking breakfast. Thank you guys for such awesome meals and good old homemade bisquits from my friend Barry. The team also came together each evening to help Bonnie and Beth with preparations for VBS. It was special to see the guys cutting and preparing the crafts for the children daily. It definitely takes team work and you guys had team work 100%.

"Well done good and faithful servants." Matthew 25:21

Vacation Bible School Under a Tree

Bonnie and Beth had Vaction Bible School each afternoon after lunch under one of the trees. They would recruite some of the men to participate in the skits they did daily. Blaine portrayed Jesus in the Storm one day. John also portrayed Peter who caught enough fish to feed many people. The women as well as the children participated in the Vacation Bible School time. One mother, Alexia, who helped build her aunt's home would stop long enough to go and do a craft for her two year old daughter, Anna, and hear the bible story. As they worked on their craft each day their was Christmas carols being played for the children in Espanol of course. It was so amazing how God's love can radiate wherever you serve HIM. The beauty of Christ surrounded that area throughout the entire week. Thank you God for your provision.

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15

Many watched on as the home went up

Each day many were there helping with the progression of the home. Pableno Senior showed up everyday with his blue shirt and pants and white rain boots on. He watched the men and women working and he was proud his daughter was receiving her home. Many did extra to make the home look appealing to the eye. They worked on the joints to smooth them out and to make this house more a home than just a house. While some of the North Americans worked on the block home they discovered Pableno Senior was rebuilding his adobe home which washed away during the heavy rains in late October and early November. Several of the men went over to assist him in digging holes for the cornerstones to place the logs in. God is so good all the time. Pableno Senior was proud his daughter was getting a home for her and her family. He shared with the team, his days were numbered and all he needed was his little adobe home to finish out his days here on this earth. Thank you Pableno Senior for teaching us all on how to put others before yourself. Especially during this Christmas season.

"So the people asked him saying,"He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none and he who has food , let him do likewise." Luke 3:10-11

Church Service with Pastor Pableno

On Sunday the team decided to go to Pastor Pableno's church which met under a porch of a nearby preschool. This is a new church planted with about fifty people and children. The children met for Sunday School under a nearby tree. Keith led by the Holy Spirit shared his testimony with the congregation. Thank you Keith for sharing from your heart. We sang Honduran Christian hymns. As we worshiped that day several of the people also shared their testimonies. I also observed how many of the people did not have bibles. I want to say thank you to all North Americans who bring bibles to share with the folks of Honduras. These people will definitely be benefiting from your generosity.

As we worship in our fine churches this little church is worshiping as well. God is wherever you come together to worship HIM. Where will you worship Christ this Christmas season?

"Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:20-22

Going Beyond Construction on Home

As the week was coming to an end some of the team members were able to go and check out the rest of the village. Some where able continue helping Pableno Senior on his home and others went to a nearby farm to visit the farm animals and milk a few cows. Also in this village is a well which is about 40 feet deep and all dug out by hand by Aldopho a neighbor of Mercedes. He shares the well with the 8 families in his village. The team asked him does he charge his neighbors for the use of his well. Of course not they are my meighbors. The Lord gave this well to me and in turn I am sharing with others. Another lesson learned by our Honduran family and friends. Unbelievable generosity flows from these people who truly have more than we do. They have the true JOY of Christmas everyday. Once again how will you share this kind of JOY this Christmas season.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to ME shall never hunger, and he who believes in ME shall never thirst." John 6:35

Home Dedication/Christmas Nativity

On the last day with the project on the home we dedicated the home with Ed sharing a few words and giving Mercedes a bible, the key and a wooden cross which was made by one of Memorials' church members. After the prayer was shared over the home the team provided a very special presentation of THE LIVE NATIVITY. How breathtaking this setting was as the story of our Lord and Savior's birth was betrayed by Egla, our translator who shared the story from heart. How beautiful are the hands and feet of God. There was one extra special angel in the nativity named Omar. He added a little something special to the entire story of Jesus' birth. Come let us adore HIM, CHRIST OUR LORD.

Luke 2:1-20

Thank you Ed, Bonnie, Beth, Barry, John, Mike, Keith, Blaine and Edward for providing a very special Christmas treat to our friends in Honduras. May God bless each of you this Christmas season.

Eye Clinic from Mooresville/Troutman/Davidson

On November 21, The Eye Clinic from the Mooresville area was suppose to arrive. As we were preparing to leave our home Mark Abernathy calls us to inform us the team missed their flight from Atlanta to Tegus due to weather conditions. So we called it a day and prayed for them to arrive safely with us on the 22nd which they did. They came with new folks who had never come before and were ready to give some Honduran people physcial eyesight as well as spiritual eyesight. They get their training from an organization called "Eye Doc in a Box". This is an amazing ministry which we had down here earlier this year. This group has no eye doctors with them or anyone who works with an eye doctor. This is a ministry they have chosen to do and has done for several years out of the love for Jesus. Their first stop was Colonia Unidas, Pastor Amado's congregation stepped forward and assisted the team for two days orchestrating a very organized and productive eye clinic. One of the stories of the day, an older lady got up that morning preparing to go to the eye clinic and was praying to the Lord, "I pray I will get eyesight today." Oh what we so take for granted. If we can see or go down the street to get our eyes examined once a year. All this dear lady wanted was hope this team could give her eyesight. And God provided this lady with new eye glasses and now she has her sight back. The second day, I believe,Ken shared that the team left a suitcase at the mission house with eyeglasses and other items needed for the day. As the day progressed God provided them with all they needed. They even had a gentleman come in who had a work related injury that morning. Phil was assisting this gentleman with his glasses. Phil walks over to the boxes of eye glasses and comes across one pair of safety glasses. This was the only pair of safety glasses in the entire inventory. That was an amazing God moment for Phil. This was their first stop on their journey of providing eyesight to many people this week. Thank you God for eyes to see.

"As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son Of David, have mercy on us!" The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David have mercy on us!" Jesus stopped and called to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him." Matthew 20:29-34

Hands and Feet of Jesus

During the week as well as providing physical and spiritual eyesight the team broke off and did other projects as well. The team had a friend named Pastor Israel who put in stoves for two families. Ken, Nat, Jack, Bob, Chad and Steve painted some Sunday School classrooms and built two families bathrooms(pilla and shower). This group shared one night during devotions how to be flexible, full hearted and joyful without complaining. God showed this through this team the entire week. They were worked diligently at whatever task was placed before them. Thank you eye clinic for showing joy in all you did this week.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure children of God. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me." Philippians 2:14a,18

Preparation for Thanksgiving breakfast and dinner

We at North Carolina Baptist Men of Honduras and the Eye Clinic want to wish you all a HappyThanksgiving. God blessed us abundantly with a wonderful breakfast prepared by Jack, Steve and Pastor Israel. After the eye clinic we came home to a delicious Thanksgiving dinner which consist of chicken, dressing, string beans, peas and corn, cranberry sauce, flan and a special dessert the Hondurans share around Christmas time. Thank you to Egla, Nancy, Meida, Rosa and Amy who prepared the Thanksgiving dinner. God is good all the time.

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness,

come before him with joyful songs

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us and we are his;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever,

his faithfullness continues through all generations."

Psalm 100

Eye Clinic at Colonia Manuel Valladares

Our next stop was at a special community called Colonia Manuel Valladares. We were able to spend two days with these wondrful people. During the eye clinic the patients got examined, got their eye glasses or whatever they may need and then they drop by the last station called the salvation station. Several team members this week led many people to Christ and had several rededications. They used the evaga cube and even a soccer ball with all the many colors of the salvation story on it. God uses many tools through us to reach others to Jesus Christ. Thank you Amy, Ann, Chad, Josh and Steve for sharing the gospel with the people of Honduras. Also at this community there was a lady getting her eyes examined by Josh and Nancy. The more she was refracted and the clearer her eyes became the more excited she got. Finally when they found the right strength she shouted I can see!!!! Josh said that was definitely his God moment for the day. Phil had a man he and Meida were working with who needed bi-focals. The team did not have bi-focals with them. Phil wears bi-focals. Phil said he heard a very small voice say "Why did you come here today?" Phil took off his own eye glasses and gave them to this gentleman. This was a humbling time for all of us.

"They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked ,"Do you see anything?" He looked up and said "I see people; they look like trees walking around ." Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. "

Mark 8:22-25

Two amazing worship services

During the week we were able to worship on Thanksgiving night with Colonia Unidas. Phil playing the trumpet and Jack playing the guitar to the beautiful music of Amazing Grace. Steve got up and shared his personal testimony. Several members of the church sang solos. But the most heart wrenching one was Christian who months ago would not get up there and sing. On Thanksgiving night he got up there and worshipped the Lord from the bottom of his precious heart. The churches start the children very young in leadership roles of the church. We were all so proud of you Christian. Thanks to Mike who preached this evening.

On Sunday we were able to worship with a baptist church in Cedeno. Josh, translated by Meida, shared his personal testimony. Later in the service Phil playing the trumpet and Egla singing along with Phil, the hymn Victory in Jesus. Pastor Chad did the sermon on we may be the only bible people see. Pastor Chad shared how the Honduran people shared all they had, beans and rice with their neighbors who helped this past week on the construction. Do we give all we have to others? Does Jesus get our best or what is left over?

"Whatever you do , work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

Colossians 3:23

Eye Clinic at Cedeno

As their week was coming to an end the team did one last clinic in Cedeno after worshiping with them. During the entire week each team member worked in different stations. They all got enough experience to be able to lead one themselves. I thank Ken and Amy for such awesome leadership in allowing them to all get a taste of the different stages this week. Steve was able to lead in the salvation station. We closed the doors at 3:30 in order to finish the people in there by four. Well somehow a gentleman got the door open came in and someone gave him a pair of sunglasses. All the stations were closed except the salvation station. Well he went over to the salvation station and sat back to listen to plan of salvation. This gentleman accepted Christ on this Sunday afternoon by being persistant enough to get the door open. There was 734 patients seen in four and a half days and 43 salvations. 43 new brothers and sisters in Christ. There was around 20 rededications of faith. Thank you so much Eye clinic for coming and giving physical and spiritual healing to so many people. To God be the glory for all things.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5: 14-16