Sunday Activities

Every Sunday the team starts their morning out with a pancake breakfast with their Honduran coffee.  We all enjoyed fellowship with one another while the pancakes were being prepared.  Mike has to cook the Honduran staff their pancakes separately because the Hondurans eat very thin pancakes.  But we all enjoyed our different pancakes in the name of Jesus.  The kitchen crew cleaned up the kitchen and prepared for their very last ride up to Cerro Maranon Fray Lazaro, Choluteca, Honduras.  Our little piece of heaven got has introduced to Monte de Horeb Ministries.

Prior to going to worship Pastor Steve preached a sermon for us on the North American dorm. Scott opened up with prayer as he and Terri led us into some good ole hymns of praise, "Victory in Jesus", "Open the Eyes to My Heart Lord", "Good good Father".  Pastor Steve's sermon was from John 11:1-46, "The Story of Lazarus". So on this Sunday morning this team got blessed with two amazing sermons from two amazing pastors.  Pastor Steve did an amazing job reflecting on the different people in this passage and how we as Christians today can relate to at least one of them if not more than one.  For example do we truly believe Jesus can heal us,  do we lack in the faith department as Martha did in the bible story, or do we get mad at God when He doesn't do like we think He should do for us as Mary did.  Jesus loves us all and takes care of all our needs according to His Will and His timing.  Pastor Steve closed in prayer as Pastor Scott led us in one last song out of the book of Psalm 3.  This was a great start to an amazing day!!!!

Pastor Carlos asked us to arrive around 1:30 for worship service and Sunday School for the children.  We arrived and the mother church and Pastor Carlos had not arrived yet.  So we got the opportunity to enjoy the culture and the children.  They served some of us a Honduran cookie with coffee.  Bobby and Gorge enjoyed playing a game with the children who were gathering.  The game involved their time as one sweet sister called it their presence with the children and a rock.  Laughter and tricks were had by all observing this precious time with these precious and beautiful Honduran children.  The ones who accepted Christ came with their bibles in their hands ready to learn more about Jesus Christ.  As we sat there waiting for the other church to arrive we all looked down the path and saw Pastor Carlos loaded down with the church members who come to help him each week with the new church family.  They come prepared to lead music, help the unsaved and unknowing folks look up scripture in their bibles.  It is amazing to me as I look at these precious people who have never heard of Jesus Christ or own a bible until May of this year. How beautiful our God is to lead us to a place who is learning about Jesus. O'Nil's father who is on dialysis walked to church this day to hear Pastor Carlos preach.  He walked about a mile to church and it was not an easy walk. As one of the team members said, "I am in awe of this when we can't get people to ride in their cars and sit in an air conditioned building to learn more about Jesus Christ."  How we all could learn from these precious people.  Pastor Carlos' sermon was on living in the flesh and living in the Holy Spirit.  We cannot live in both worlds.  So which one today are you choosing to live in.  His scripture was out of  several books of the Bible, Romans 8 and 2 Corinthians 5:17. As I sat next to O'Nil and his daughter Kimberly, a new believer as well, I observed O'Nil looking up the scripture for himself and reciting the scripture Pastor Carlos was referring to in the Bible.  Next to me on the other side was one of Noel's son's Daniel, I believe as he had accepted Christ earlier in the week with his mother and two other siblings.  I had the privilege to help him look up the scripture in the Bible as he followed along and read.  Mike was on the other end of the bench with Noel, who we saw struggling to find the scripture.  Mike assisted him along through the service.  The church members helped other new Christians look up the scripture as well. What a beautiful day of worship on the porch of one of the church members home.  We had this little porch packed full of plastic chairs and all were full with folks standing at the back of the porch listening as well.  Of course as Pastor Carlos was getting cranked up with the Word, Satan came along in the form of a huge dump trunk trying to get through with our vehicles blocking his way. O'Nil jumped up immediately along with Mike and moved the vechiles and directed the huge truck through this narrow space as Pastor Carlos continued preaching the Word of God. There is so many of you reading this today who have been praying for Noel to accept Christ.  Mike reached over near the end of the worship service to ask Noel was he ready for Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior and he said, "I am ready to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior."  All I can think about right now is O'Nil and Noel, his dear friend, learning God's Word together through Pastor Carlos' discipleship program.  As of today after this worship service Pastor Carlos has forty four plus the other seven to disciple along side of the disciples from the mother church.  How beautiful all of this is all in the name of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit was in this place today!!!

While worship service was going on Saul and Nelson, Sunday School teachers from the mother church lead the children over to the grounds of the school under those beautiful mango trees for Sunday School.  There was twenty plus children there for Sunday School as they learned about God's Word through the Bible and singing.   Please pray with us as more people come to Christ in this community and learn God's Word they will disciple a couple of their own people to be the Sunday School teachers for this community.  This week these children have heard daily about different stories from the Bible.  The knowledge of God's Word they walked away with this week is a wonderful start to a firm foundation of God and His Son Jesus Christ.

 

After an amazing morning in church we came back for sandwiches for lunch and some siesta time.  The gentlemen grilled pbjs and ham and cheese sandwiches to order.  We sat and relived our morning and how beautiful God's plan is for all this week's details. This group of five ended up right where God wanted them to go and they saw folks hungry for the Word of God this week and some we still need to lift up in prayers as they "aren't prepared yet" to accept Christ.  We do not have to get prepared to accept Jesus Christ.  He takes us just as we are and molds and makes us into his perfect child of God.  Hallelujah praise God for his perfect gift of Jesus Christ.  We do not have to do anything to receive but say yes and start living our lives for HIM.  This week ended with forty four people saying yes Lord take me as I am, a sinner who now is forgiven and will live a life for their eternal home one day.