A Warm Welcome

After our physical and spiritual food of the morning and many months of prayers and preparations Pastor Matty and his team headed out of Mt. Horeb to where God had called them to be this week, Colonia Unidas and Caldera community, a mission church of Colonia Unidas church.  But Friday they would start their five day journey with the church members of Pastor Carlos who has blessed this church and he himself as also been blessed by an amazing group of people eager to learn more about their relationship with their Lord and Savior.  We gathered in the sanctuary with the North Americans, the church members and two of the three translators.  Of course Mike and I got concerned when the third translator was not there.  But remember how big our God is according to Susan in her first night of devotionals.  God has this and yes Ronnie did finally make it and apologized for his tardiness.  God blessed us this week with Meida of course, Juan and Ronnie who hit the pavement daily with their groups of North Americans and sometimes members of the church.  They all separated into three groups inside the church before heading out to the streets of Colonia Unidas.  They shared a little about themselves and simply got to know one another before going to serve the Lord together.  They shared pray concerns for one another and they prayed again even after we prayed in the big circle.  Prayer is most important as we go out and share the gospel into this dark and broken world we live in people.  This is even true with our daily lives.  Prayer should be the first thing we do each day and as we close our eyes at night. So after about thirty minutes in small groups slowly each group got up and headed out for what was going to be one amazing week in Colonia Unidas. 

Friday evening after dinner we gathered around the multi-purpose porch to have devotional led by one of our young people, Zach.  He shared out of Jeremiah 29:13 "Search For Me" was the title of his devotional. God is always calling us through sounds, His Creations, His Word, but we need to be searching for Him to hear Him, See Him, Feel Him and know He is with each of us.  God is alive and present everywhere.  We simply need to search for Him and we will find Him and all His blessings.

Pastor Matty led the team into God moments asking the team where did they see God today.  David shared the home they visited was a mother with three children who knew God's Word and how refreshing this was to visit a mother who being a single mother still taking the time to teach her children scripture.  What a great way to start our journey through these streets of Colonia Unidas.  Bobby shared about an elderly lady who had just lost her husband and they were able to pray with her and encourage.  But what blessed Bobby's visit with this elderly lady how even though she had just lost her husband she was still full of God's joy and she showed up at VBS that afternoon. Susan had quiet a different visit her first day.  As Susan's team came upon their home, Susan shared how she did not get a good vibe from the lady of the house.  So the team started sharing a little and Susan felt led by God to share about her own children to this lady and the flood gates of tears opened as Susan was sharing.  Translator Juan asked her was she saved.  She said most definitely I am saved and know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.  But she shared how her children are sick.  The man from the church, Irin reached out to her with tears in his eyes and prayed over her and encouraged her with Words of God.  We never know what baggage someone may be carrying and this day the bad vibe Susan got was one hopefully after they left gave this lady a hope only which can come from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Pastor Matty's son Isaac shared how he was in awe of how amazing their translators were and well grounded in God's Word.  How being with them was encouragement for him to freely share his heart thoughts.  Issac by the way is sixteen and a godly and grounded young man in God's Word. Our new team member Joanne was in awe of how welcoming the homes were to invite us in and offer us a coke.  But what was most impressive about her visits they were eager to hear all they could about Jesus Christ who died for their sins. There was one home where there was a girl named Nativity who cried the entire time they were there.  When team ask could they pray for them Nativity asked to pray for her home and her health.  Nativity was very sick and God is truly her only hope of healing. These beautiful people truly believe in the power of prayer here in Honduras as we all should with all our concerns in life. Pastor Matty closed out with a most interesting morning in a home where witchcraft is alive and very real.  The lady was sick so she shared with Pastor Matty and his team some people tried to do witchcraft on her and now she is very sick.  Witchcraft and the evils of Satan are very real folks and we need to be much aware of how sickness leads to death in this culture.  But the beauty of this culture is how they believe in the power of prayer to heal our bodies from the evils of this world. Out of Acts 1:17 there is only one true God and after they left that day this lady knew God was the only great Physician in her life. What a privilege it is to share the love of Jesus Christ in this broken world.  Being a Christian is not a game people it is real and needs to be active in our lives as Christian.  Our world not just here in Honduras are full of hurting people and we as Christians need to act upon those around us and share the love of Jesus with our fellow believers and those who are truly lost.