Saturday, January 19, 2019

Welcome Back Mt. Olive Baptist Church


It has been about four years since new team leader Steven and his friend Robert had been to Honduras.  But the wait was worth it all.  Team leader, Steven brought back eleven new folks from his church family who were willing and able to serve wherever and whenever.  I would love to welcome our first time friends, April and Colby, wife and son of Steven, Charlie, Zach, Mrs. Nancy, Kyle, Keeley, Michelle and Mason, mother and son, and Melanie and Logan, mother and son.  This group was hand picked by God for an amazing week serving their Lord.  This is he first team to bring a duo project team.  Mrs. Nancy brought her own medical staff who were Kyle, Keeley and Michelle, a nurse.  Steven still had nine folks to build the house for a very sweet family.
There is a lot to do here on Mt. Horeb to get a day up and running.  First things first make a big pot of Honduran coffee for our day.  The ladies made up the sandwiches daily for their team.  The young people make up the water and Gatorade for their team.  Different ones were in charge of the breakfast each morning.  Robert, Charlie, Colby, Mason and Logan loaded the truck daily.  Everyone worked hard to help with our day.  Even Lassie helped make their fresh tortillas daily with Ingrid.  It takes all of us to make our morning ready for what will lie ahead.  Grateful for willing servants on our first team of the year.  Great way to start our year will enthusiastic folks.





Las Cabasas Porvenir


Steven and his team was blessed to meet a beautiful family in Las Cabasas, Porviner, Choluteca, Honduras.  I would with great honor and humility introduce to you Marvin, husband and father, Marixa, wife and mother, Eduardo, a young man full of life and energy and little shy Loany, not pictured is there oldest daughter Stefany who lives with  her grandparents.  The team introduced themselves and they all immediately became one family for this day until they all go home to be with Jesus.  We asked Marvin to introduce his family and he did this very well.  But when Mike asked him did he have anything he wanted to say, he froze with emotions.  Marixa with tears flowing down her cheeks thanked God first for sending this group to help her and her family receive a home they have been praying for quiet some time.  She praised God for each one of us and we truly did not have any idea how we all were going to be blessed more than Marixa, Marvin, Eduardo and Loany.  God placed just the right team with just the right family to build His Kingdom here on earth and to provide a precious family a new home where they will not get wet again during the rainy season and will be secure and safe with a door and lock and key.  Some things we all as North Americans take for granted.  God is so good and we praise HIM for this week and what we all walk away with.  



Love Thy Neighbor



God provided the team with lots of shade for when they needed to be relieved from the sun.  Wuilmer, our friend and who we built a home for last March knew right where everything needed to go.  He headed with Colby with the board to help make us a bench for sitting and resting.  He did this with his big beautiful smile.  Wuilmer is a servant of God by the way he lives out his life on a daily basis.  Marvin and his family have been living with Wuilmer for the last twenty days in his 19x25 block home while Marvin was building the foundation for his new home.  His adobe home was torn down to make room for his new home.  So Wuilmer has been there for his friend through this whole journey.  A lot of great memories were made around this cozy little rest area God provided for this team.  God's provision was the shade trees and a local cow who came by often to check out these new faces.  Also the children enjoyed gathering around the rest area to visit and hang out to watch Marvin's home go up.  So many of these friends and families have already been blessed with a new home, now it is Marvin and Marixa's turn.  They did not ask for this home.  They did not turn in a solicitation God just led us to them one day last year and ask them if they would like to receive a home.  We needed this community to be able to meet the needs of this team who brought a medical team.  This was the perfect community for all the needs of this team.  Thank you Las Cabasas for once again blessing us in so many ways you will never even know you have done.



Prepping for the First Block




All the tools from the Kia must come off and placed where they need to go so the day will run
smoothly for all.  There is order to this first morning though some of us may have wondered.  Later in the day Melanie team member shared we had this process down to a complete science.  Every detail was in place and there was not a problem with how the process proceeded.  If someone did not understand what needed to be done, Pastor Carlos every so gently would explain to them how he wanted it done.  If we at any time made a mistake, Pastor Carlos gingerly shared "No problem". It could be fixed and everyone kept on working to the best of their abilities.  Before lunch time this team had found their calling in all kinds of areas.
Great job team!!!



Every home has a foundation which is 19x25 in dimensions.  But the cornerstone is what lays the foundation of every home.  It has to be exactly right so each block which goes up on this foundation will be placed in perfectly, just like Jesus Christ is our Cornerstone.  Our foundation has to be laid out perfectly and firm.  The only way we can have a firm foundation in Christ the Cornerstone is to have a personal relationship with HIM.  We build our relationship with HIM by being still and in HIS Presence as Charlie shared during his devotional one evening.  Our spiritual foundation takes time which only we can do for ourselves.  We can only build our foundation in Christ our Cornerstone.  It cannot be built by saying I go to church or my family goes to church.  Only you and I as individual's can build our own firm foundation in Christ Jesus.  How firm is your foundation?


The sand has to be sifted to perfection so the mescal can be mixed.  There is a very special recipe for this mixture which later in the week the North Americans learned and now can do it all by themselves.  It takes four wheel barrows of dirt, two bags of cement and I believe 5 buckets of water.  Then you start mixing it a certain way like you are building a volcano.  Do not let it ooze out if so quickly knead it back into the mixture as you get it ready to go between eight hundred blocks which develop into eleven courses and two gables.  In five days all this will become a very gorgeous home which will meet so many needs of this family.
So team learned some new skills, the cornerstone went up in preparation for the first block as the mescal was being mixed.  There was much taking place around this little piece of heaven here on earth and it is all to the glory of our Heavenly Father.  Because without HIM we could not have done anything.  He is our strength and our stronghold even when it is so hot and we are all learning new things. Let say these folks left their comfort zone and found a lot of blessings by being obedient to our Heavenly Father.  Well done good and faithful servants.







Mr. Mike's Many Helpers



Mr. Mike's job sometimes is cutting the special blocks but today Mr. Mike had lots of great helpers.  There ages ranged from five years old up to around sixty years old.  Everyone pitched in lining up the blocks for Mr. Mike to cut in just the right order.  Mr. Robert finally got the block saw out of Mr. Mike's hands so he could continue the special order for the one hundred twenty blocks which they will need for the next two days.  What really took me back was I looked over their later and saw our young man, Colby cutting blocks for Mr. Robert.  So these two "young" men were the block cutters for the week.  These folks are definitely hard workers for the Lord.



The First Block


The cornerstone is in place.  The plum line has leveled the foundation.  The first batch of mescal is ready to place that first block into its place.  The North Americans and all the Honduran friends and family gathered around and laid hands on Marvin, Marixa, Eduardo and Loany as Pastor Zach with the help of one of our translators, Meida prayed over the first block.  Pastor Zach shared a beautiful prayer of thanksgiving and blessing upon this house which in five days will be a home for this precious family.  He prayed for the safety of us all as we worked together side by side serving our Lord.  He most of all gave God all praise and honor for this privilege of building this home.  We are forever blessed to be here today Lord in Your most Holy Presence.  All God's people said amen!!!!




Lots of Help



Las Cabasas, Proviner is known for helping their family and friends when they get a home.  We can remember how Marvin helped so many of his friends long before he knew God would give him a home.  These people exhibit the true sense of community for all of us.  They came out and lend a hand and worked beside complete strangers from North America. These helpers were not adults but maybe a couple, these helpers were children who have learned from other projects how to build a home.  The men of this community were out in the melon fields working while they can.  The melon field is seasonal.  Wuilmer works for the melon fields as well but he works the night shift.  So he got up each morning after sleeping a short time and helped his friend work on his home.  The team was truly blessed with such giving spirits working along side of them.  








The Living Water

I have said for years this is the most important job of all, the hydration specialist.  The weather here is quiet warm, actually not quiet warm, it is very warm.  Especially when the North Americans are not use to the heat.  But the Hondurans as well get hot because they were diligently and give it their all as well.  So I did not even have to tell these two ladies, Michelle and Melanie to hydrate our Honduran helpers.  They simply knew if they were thirsty the Hondurans may be thirsty too.  Thank you ladies for your servant hearts by simply going out onto the project with a cup of water or Gatorade and refueling these guys who have worked beside you all week with their whole beings.  



The Medical Team






God blessed this team with a medical team.  Mrs. Nancy, a nurse practitioner  came down with three amazing helpers, Michelle, who is a nurse, Kyle who works in the operating room at his local hospital and Keeley who is studying to be a nurse.  What great hands on experience for  this medical  team to receive and  go help those who struggle getting medical care for whatever reason, whether it is financially or simply cannot get to a local clinic.  Las Cabasas is a sweet rural area about forty minutes from Choluteca.  So this medical clinic this week was a gift from God for sure.  Michelle found out one day talking with Meida how just to get to the market the ladies need to walk about thirty minutes up to the main road to catch a bus to Choluteca.  They have to be back on the bus by a certain time because there is only one bus who goes out there and it leaves by four.  So once they get their groceries they catch the bus back out to the dirt road that leaves to their homes in Las Cabasasa.  Please note they are now bringing their groceries for the week on their heads or shoulders down their thirty minute walk unless someone may come by and they catch a ride on the back of a pick up truck. So yes this medical clinic is a gift from God.  They served 137 patients in four days.  The first day was a half a day put the last three was from nine to three. One interesting story was they ran out of urine cups on the last day and Dr. Sarah, a Honduran shared use one of the gloves you are wearing when checking the patients.  Mrs. Nancy and Michelle said they were in absolute awe of how they know how to use what they have in front of them to make whatever they need to work.  Yes, it did work. Two ladies returned to the clinic and shared how the medicine they prescribed for them worked and they wanted to come and say thank you to the medical clinic. There was a lot of  allergies in this area.  So they could help them with their allergies and everyone was so grateful for the care these four along with Meida, Dr. Sarah and Joel provided for their community.  Sadly they wanted to treat the men and women in the melon fields but the melon company would not allow them time off to go to the medical clinic which was not a half mile from them.  Thank you our sweet medical team who made such a huge impact in serving others with your medical experience and gifts of compassion for others.  




You Are Never Too Old


I would love with great pleasure, honor and humility introduce everyone to Mrs. Nancy.  Mrs. Nancy is 75 years old and is a retired Nurse Practitioner.  She has always wanted to go use her gifts of medicine internationally for her Lord.  Mrs. Nancy has a lot of physical challenges which for some folks would let that hinder them from coming to Honduras.  Mrs. Nancy did not see her physical challenges as challenges at all she saw them as opportunities to rely more on the strength from her Lord and Savior.  She said God brought me here to serve and to serve Him is just what I am going to do.  From the construction site Mrs. Nancy had to walk down a rocky terrain called a road to get to the church on the first day.  The children were walking with her holding her hand and I came along behind them to walk with her as well.  She needed to take a short break to allow her legs to catch up with her desire to serve her Lord.  They did and we continue walking to the church to start her dream of doing a medical clinic for these beautiful people. The rest of the week Mrs. Nancy had an amazing chauffeur who drove her down to the clinic and home daily, Mr. Robert.  Thank you Robert for taking such great care of Mrs. Nancy as well.   She had an amazing dedicated staff right by her side who supported her and took great care of her.  Glenda one of the members of the church took extra special care of Mrs. Nancy.  The Hondurans knew Mrs. Nancy went through a lot to simply walk to the church to serve their community so they were there for her as well.  Mrs. Nancy set such a high standard for us all who say we cannot go to Honduras because...….Is that you who is reading this today?  If so look at the life of Mrs. Nancy who has physical conditions which could have eliminated her from coming and getting blessings in her life which no one will ever be able to take a way from her.  I told Mrs. Nancy when I grow up I want to be just like her.  She totally relied on her Father in Heaven for all her needs, did she struggle a few times, yes, but she bounced right back with vengeance.  She preserved with full force and gave it all she had in her being all because God called her to go and serve in this beautiful country called Honduras.
God is so good that on the last day she was able to help Marixa and ladies cook the chicken soup.  She got to experience a chicken being freshly killed for that big pot of soup we were to have for lunch. She said she use to kill chickens when she was much younger. Mrs.Nancy stood there cutting vegetables with the rest of the ladies for over three hours.  When they were finished and the soup was cooking, Marixa provided Mrs. Nancy a chair to sit in and Dr. Sarah stayed right by her side while everyone else when on a tour of this beautiful and loving village called Las Cabasas, Proviner.  At the airport with tears in both of our eyes she hugged me and said I will see you next year if God so allows and thanked me for all we did to make her week so very special here in Honduras.  All I could say is no Mrs. Nancy, "Thank You for being the example for all of us."



JOY




The time has come where all good things are coming close to an end.  This week has flown by as they all do for us each week.  The team was busy at work finishing up on the fifth day with the roof and I counted about eight or nine other jobs going on around us.  Pastor Zach had shared the gospel with Marvin on Thursday but wanted to follow up with him to make sure he totally understood about him accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior.  While he was talking to Marvin there was another gentlemen listening as well to the story about Jesus and the sweetest gift of all our salvation.  
While this was taking place, Mike and Pastor Carlos were on the roof placing each piece of tin in place who Charlie and Robert were helping with this task.  Melanie and April cleaned the doors and the windows of the home getting all the mud off with the help of Eduardo.  Steven and Robert cleaned off the concrete slab in front of the house and the rest of the team was cooking lunch.  Every single person was busy doing the Lord's work and doing it with pure joy in their hearts.  What a great way to close out their week to completion.  



God's Creation


Everyday God blessed all of us with a beautiful sunset while we ate our dinner.  Each day on the project the team was surrounded by God's creation.  At home in the states we are too busy to enjoy such beauty around us because of our busyness.  But this week they were able to step back and truly enjoy all the beauty God provides us all on a daily basis. There was a cow who came right up to were they took their breaks each day checking out the situation.  He was probably  wondering what are these folks doing in my village with my people.  This cow never once wavered from his stares, he stared a little and then  grazed on the leftover corn stalks out in the field he stood in.  There was a mama hen with her little baby chicks scurrying amongst us as if we were not there each and every day. It is almost like they all had an agenda with or without us being there.  This was these creatures of God's daily ritual.  But the sweetest gift of all was the full moon and not just any full moon, but a blood moon which only comes once in a lifetime and these folks were in Honduras to get to see it shining down on us with galaxy of stars shining down as well.  Please take the time to enjoy what God has given us and see the beauty in it all.  The same full moon is where you are as it is in Honduras.  Take time to enjoy the beauty of God all around you. It is most relaxing and uplifting in every way. 



Great Job North Americans






Of all days the melon field was full of working men and women planting melon seeds. The fourth day of the project where the team needs to start putting down some of the floor and take down the scaffolding after placing all the metal beams in place. This group stepped up to the plate and went at it with all they had.  Melanie and April were hauling bags of cement along with Robert, Mason and Logan.  Steven April and Colby were sifting the special sand for the floor which is a lot heavier because of the rocks mixed in with them.  Mr. Mike got Mason and Logan with him and taught them how to mix the mescal for the floor.  It was a little different from the prior recipe they learned earlier in the week.  This team mixed the mescal for the floor while Pastor Carlos, Zach, Charlie, Robert and Colby, also Mason and Logan tamped the floor prepping it for the floor.  These nine people were doing it all.  But the flip side to this was 100 plus people had worked that day and we all give God praise and honor for the work these people are doing to provide us North Americans with melons at our fingertips.  Steven got the privilege to go over to the melon field to see how they process the melons from start to finish.  Most of this is all done by hand.  Steven inquired why don't they use the equipment they have to do this work.  The foreman shared if they did 100 people would not have work.  If they don't have work they cannot feed their families.  The work in the melon field is seasonal. They work from January to June and then it is over until the next year.  These people have to work when they can and they work very hard for their families and for us as well.  So the next time you get a melon from the grocery store and it says Honduras one of these folks may have planted the seed to produce your melon.




Family Traditoin



The week would not be complete in Las Cabasas, Proviner, Choluteca, Honduras without a celebration meal.  This village for the last eight years has always sacrificed their chickens for a huge pot of chicken soup, sopa de Guiana.  This time there was five chickens in the pot of soup.  Team member Kyle got the privilege to help kill the last chicken.  He held the chicken while Marixa cut its throat and then she sat the chicken in a pot of hot water to help make the plucking much easier.  Then she cut it up and cleaned it to go into the boiling pot of water.  While these two were preparing the last chicken, Sarah and Meida were helping Michelle, Keeley and Mrs. Nancy clean and cut up all the vegetables to go into the soup.  There was tomatoes, onions, peppers, yuca, potatoes, squash and small corn.  This was a feast in the making.  Of course there was someone making up fresh tortillas while all this was going on as well.  These ladies and Kyle cooked for over three hours on this meal for their team and their new Honduran family. I was so proud of this team in so many ways.  How they engaged with the Hondurans and lived a day just like they would do on a daily basis.  Michelle said she was humbled by Marixa working so hard every day for her family. She was always cooking a meal, washing the dishes and washing the clothes all day long.  Plus providing the team with a large 3 liter coke each and every day because on the first day the team brought lempiras to buy a coke but Marixa bought it for them and every day after that except maybe one.  She made sure the bathroom was clean and provided toilet paper each day for the team.  Marixa definitely had the gift of hospitality and we all learned so much by simply watching her daily lives.  Yes the team did provide her a home and the team did share this was not any sacrifice compared to the sacrifice Marixa showed each one of the all week.  We love this community so much and how much they all teach us about love thy neighbor and the sense of community, true love for each other.



Family and Friends Serve Together


We would love to welcome Melanie and Logan, our first time friends to Honduras.  Logan shared with me the very first day how he wanted to enjoy the children and the Honduran food while he was serving the Lord here.  This is exactly what Logan was able to do.  Logan and the children hit it off immediately and they loved and played on each other all week.  We had not been on the project an hour and Logan was taking off to go play soccer.  I asked Logan where are you going?  His response I am going to build relationships like Mr. Mike told us to do.  I chuckled and said well lets first get some blocks on the foundation please.  He was very polite and off he went to help get the blocks for special order lined up along with his three friends who also helped Logan.  Those three amigos were not too happy with Mama Greene, but as I always say it isn't eternal.  Later in the day Logan learned how to play real soccer with those little boys.  Melanie well one word describes her well maybe more than one, dedicated, determined to serve and doing it to the best of her ability.  She was always right where she needed to be to help whoever needed help.  What a servant heart this lady has and it shined the entire week she was here in Honduras.  She is also a journalist.  Some of her quotes she would share out of personal journal were heart wrenching to the bone. In her devotional one evening it was on the life of Job.  Job went through so many hardships in his life but he started out having everything you could ask for in life.  He had wealth, numerous children, livestock and so much more.  But Satan was after him and God allowed Satan to attack Job.  But Job stood strong in the Lord and through all his suffering he rejoiced in the Lord.  We can have this very same life, rejoicing in whatever we are going through because if we are a child of God we are guaranteed His grace upon us.  Jeremiah 29:11 says " I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you."  


What a beautiful way to start a relationship.  I am not sure how long this lovely couple has been together but first of all you would have never known while they were here they were a couple.  They came strictly to serve their Lord with their whole being.  They gave their all to HIS service. They were blessed to work side by side in the pharmacy and learn so much about the medical field outside the four walls of a hospital or doctor's office. Kyle was touched by the love the community showed to them in the medical clinic.  How touched he was with their warm and heart felt hugs.  Keeley was quiet and truly always wore a smile no matter what the situation.  The joy of Jesus radiated across her beautiful face each day.  Once again what a sweet way to begin a relationship is with Christ at the center of it.  


Steven came down four years ago with an all male team. He said back then I can't wait to bring my family one day with me.  This year was the year he was able to do just that.  April and his 16 year old son Colby came with him and they were all forever blessed.  Colby just like Steven was a quiet spirit with a very warm and willing heart.  There was not anything he could not do and did it well.  I was blessed to get to know him through a few games of corn hole which I must say he was very good.  Every time he got a hole he looked at me and simply smiled like beat this Mrs. Ginger.  April well she kept right up with both of these young men on the job site.  She worked along side of Melanie as hard as any man on the project.  She was always looking for ways to help out and did it all with a servant's heart.  She has been forever changed because of her obedience to God to come along with Steven and make memories with him and Colby no one will ever take away.  What a beautiful way to spend time as a family serving the Lord in Honduras. Welcome home Steven!!!


I would love to welcome our new friends to Honduras, Michelle and her son Mason.  These two as well came with servant hearts.  Michelle was on the medical team, while Mason worked very hard on the construction of the home.  There was not anything Mason did not try to do.  He as well enjoyed the children and was a quiet spirit as well.  But he sported a beautiful smile which also radiated the love of Jesus in his life.  It did my heart good to see him come and take the time to serve along side his team while his mother was busy down at the church serving our Lord through the medical clinic.  Michelle was definitely in her element dispensing of the medicines to each patient with the assistance of Meida.  She was there whenever Mrs. Nancy needed anything and she was a humble servant in serving the Honduran workers their water.  She knew when she was thirsty they were thirsty too.  Michelle and I had some intense conversations about this beautiful country and how much she has learned by being here.  The simplicity of this lifestyle she says she would love to take home with her.  They take care of their neighbors and their community with what they have.  They go beyond giving their all to whoever is in need.  She saw Marixa working tirelessly daily for her family and meeting the needs of the team as well, all with joy in her heart.  She said I love the joy these people have with what they have.  She also came through at breakfast to help Mason finish up his batch up pancakes for breakfast one morning.  Michelle was always there for her team and especially her son, Mason.  



Worship Service





Today's worship service was absolutely beautiful.  As Michelle shared the simplicity of this service was spirit filled in every way.  People walked from all over the village to come worship today.  
The pastor welcomed everyone to worship today.  He opened with prayer and ask Glenda to share in hymns.  Before Glenda led us in hymns she thanked the team for helping their community.  Glenda sang a song of Joy and Pleasure.  Ginger then read Psalm 23 along with Meida who translated.
Glenda continued leading music as we sang "Because He Lives",.  The team sang "Victory in Jesus" and "I Saw The Light". Church member Julio prayed over the offering.
Pastor Zach got up and thanked everyone for having them here this week.  What a privilege it was to serve beside each one of them and the community for Marvin and Marixa to receive their new home.  His scripture reference for today was Philippians 3:1-11.  Paul states in these verses we need to worship in the Spirt and not the flesh.  By faith not works are we saved. Paul was the best of the best of God's chosen people. He was a religious leader and a teacher.  He was a persecutor of the Christian people, because he thought Christianity was a fake religion.  He thought we were suppose to live by the law. If anyone could work their way into Heaven it was Paul. It worked at it very hard until one day going down the Damascus Road which at that time his name was Saul.  God blinded him to the point he could not see and this is when he was healed by Jesus and could finally truly see what Christianity was all about.  Not by works but by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and then by faith go out and serve the Lord as He calls you to. Up until that day Paul's whole life was based on works not faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus is perfect, no one else is blameless but Jesus.  Saul thought he was blameless until he met Jesus on that journey one day. Just like your famous soccer player Messi who has perfect scores and records, you could try to do the same thing but you probably would never be as good as he is.  Just like with our relationship with Jesus we will never  be perfect in His sight until we are face to face with Him on the other side of eternity.   The world will tell us we are not good enough and we are not good enough except through the eyes of Jesus.  Jesus is God in flesh, He is perfect, He sacrificed His life for us on the cross, He arose on the third day and Jesus Christ is righteousness.  So he challenged us this day to know Jesus by not the works we do or the church we go to but by simply receiving His true and perfect love through the blood he shed on the cross for our sins.  We are all sinners who can be saved by HIS GRACE. Do not let this day go by if you are reading this and you do not know where you will go when you leave this earth.  Please receive the greatest gift of all Jesus Christ.