Welcome Arlington Baptist Church

Mike and I made our way to the airport about eight days ago to pick up a brand new team who only one of them have ever been on an international mission trip.  We discussed climbing the mountain I wonder what they look like and how they will be.  It has been along time since we had picked up a brand new team especially one we had not ever met personally first hand.  So off we went to pick up eight amazing godly people who first of all love their Lord first and fore most.  They put Him out front and center.  Our skycaps said we have Pastor Matty and his team. So behind the skycaps came our huge blessings from God for the next eight days.  Welcome to Honduras, Pastor Matty, Todd and Susan, Zach, Angie, Bobby, Amy and Penny from Arlington Baptist Church.  As we were walking to the airport parking lot I looked at Pastor Matty and said, "I could not believe you signed up for next year and you had not experienced Honduras, plus Mike and Ginger."  Pastor Matty said, "I went out on faith."  This is exactly what each of these new friends did, they came prepared way before they arrived in Honduras.  Pastor Matty read the manual and equipped his team accordingly.  They came prepared knowing about the cultural challenges which lied ahead for them, the language barrier which I was most impressed with how they prepared for working with translators.  They got with someone back home who was bilingual and practiced sharing the gospel using the translator.  There was not a whole lot of what ifs once they arrived.  This evangelism team came equipped in the Word and equipped knowing what was expected of them while serving beside North Carolina Baptist Men and Women on Missions in Honduras.  Great job Pastor Matty and team.

When they arrived at Mt. Horeb Meida, Joel and Sarah came out to meet and greet the team.  Pastor Matty requested for them to be there so they could go over what the team needed to know before hitting the dirt roads of San Jose de las Canchas with Pastor Jose and "Vida Eterna" church family.

Pastor Matty asked what kind of things should his North American team be prepared for as far as family dynamics.  There was a planned Youth Conference for Monday afternoon.  Pastor Matty wanted to know what to expect from our the youth viewed life and what goes on around them.

Sarah and Meida jumped right on these questions and answered them in complete details of the family dynamics right up to how it affects the teenagers lives here in Honduras.  Even the small children and how they have to live to survive here is astounding to our ears.  Most of the mothers are single mothers who may or may not have worked with any where from two to five children under her roof.  She is blessed to have a job said the translators but there is a cost if she does.  The children or youth pretty much care for themselves during the day while the mother is at work.  So when the mother comes home there is chores to do at home and caring for her children.  There is not a lot of time for showing love and compassion for their children, They are simply trying to survive one day at a time.  Pastor Matty looked at Joes and ask what his take was on all this.  Joel shared how he was blessed to be raised in a Christian home where he was loved and cared for.  It breaks his heart to see so many of his people struggling daily to survive especially the children.  But he was ready to go and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with whoever will welcome and let them know God loves them because He sent His only Son for our sins.  So after all this in depth discussion we prayed up for the week ahead and Mike took the three blessings from God to the bus stop to go home and rest up for what was going to be an amazing week!!!!