Porque How Do You Make Gatorade

This week we had so much fun simply making the Gatorade.  Sherman a returned friend alas Porque was in charge of the Gatorade.  But on the second day some others took over and made it a new type of Gatorade called congealed salad.  So the next day Sherman was rehired to make his famous and most awesome batch of Gatorade with his fine assistants Steve and David.  David was very respectful of the jefe of the Gatorade and did exactly what he was told.  The portions from that day forward was done exactly as alas "Porque" requested.  Everyone was happy and hydrated throughout the rest of the week.  Thank you Sherman for being such a great hydration specialist this week.  You did an amazing job leading  Steve and David down the right path of making the most delicious Gatorade. 

Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it.

Proverbs 8:33

Friends for a Life Time

These two gentlemen Pastor Dudley and Pastor Steve are retired chaplains out of the military which is where they met and have been serving the Lord together for the last forty years.  They do a lot of mission trips together not only internationally to Honduras but other countries and all over the United States.  When either of these gentlemen speak of the Lord in conversation it is bold and solid for the Kingdom Work.  Their faith is so strong and solid as they live out God's Word in their daily lives.  What a pleasure and joy to serve beside these two life long friends this week.  Thank you gentlemen for your love for the Lord and bringing here to Honduras to share it with us and our Honduran friends.  We love ya'll.

A friend loves at all times

Proverbs 17:17

Two Brothers With No Language Barrier

As the first day progressed these two Pastor Dudley and homeowner Wuilmer became inseparable.  They worked together on making this house a home.  They trusted each others actions since there was a language barrier.  This language barrier was removed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Both gentlemen allowed the Lord to lead and guide every block and mescal that went into this house.  I caught them on the last day before the rood went up looking together at the craftsmanship of the four walls which went up very quickly Pastor Dudley shared on the night before the fifth day of construction.  Pastor Dudley shared how Mike said on their first night this week will fly by you if you are not careful and you will miss the opportunity of building relationships as well as building the home.  Mike said this house will get built but you may miss an opportunity of a life time by not taking time to get to know these beautiful people.  Pastor Dudley did not miss out on building relationships because what I witnessed with him and Wuilmer, the home owner was humbling and amazing action of God's love for us.  The way Wuilmer looked up to Pastor Dudley and the way Pastor Dudley looked at his new friend Wuilmer was only something God could have created.  All because Pastor Dudley said yes to God to come here and build a house which actually Wuilmer could have done without the help of Pastor Dudley.  He is a skilled craftsman.  Wuilmer took so much pride in his home and the way it was going to turn out.  He smoothed the joints daily and kept the area clean where they were working.  He made sure the floor was prepped for the concrete going on it.  He was one proud man and his family is blessed to call him husband and father.  Thank you Wuilmer for teaching us so many lessons this week about how to be like Jesus.  Thank you Pastor Dudley for taking the time to build more than a home you built a lifetime memory for you and Wuilmer this week by simply taking the time and not being task driven but Christ driven.  How beautiful it is of the hands and feet of Jesus.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

Prayer Walk and Prepartion for Dedication

As the week was coming to an end Andi, Heather and Hayley asked if they could do a prayer walk around the community while the roof was going up.  So they were prepping and getting ready while Pastor Dudley was going over last minute details with Meida about the dedication.  So off they went down the dirt road in front of Wuilmer's new home.  They headed down the path and turned left at the end of the dirt road.  Meida took them to homes we had never been to before.  Four of the team members along with Meida would enter the home while the rest would stay outside and simply and most importantly prayed for what was taking place within the home.  The team asked the families for prayer concerns or request as one of the ladies recorded the prayer request inside a notebook to share with the entire team after returning to the states.  Everyone has prayer concerns and this team took each one to heart and will continue to pray for their new friends for many weeks and years to come.  There was one gentlemen named Ishmael who is 96 years old I believe and has a basketball size tumor on his side.  He asked if the team could pray for him. The team actually went daily to his home and prayed for him.  Ishmael blessed these North Americans more than they blessed him.  This was an amazing morning going door to door praying with different families with different needs and a different language.  But one thing they all had in common they had the same God.  We pray if you do not know what true contentment in life is and you do not know about this God who is forever and always with you if you allow HIM, I pray you will receive HIM today.  This is the sweetest and most precious gift you will ever receive.  Ishmael was in a lot of pain and each day is truly a struggle for him but he believes in the great physician and great healer of all time God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  This is how you can have Ishmael's true joy and contentment through the blood of Jesus Christ.  All God's people shouted AMEN!!!!!

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

I Timothy 6:6

Home Dedication

Pastor Dudley with the assistance of our Maida led the home dedication.  He read from Psalm 127:2-3 about God is the one who built this home not man.  He also shared out of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 how this home will be here for generations to come where his children will be blessed with this home as well as their children.  Pastor Dudley asked everyone to gather around the home as Pastor Carlos, Pastor Siriaco and Tim all three prayed over this house which is now a home.  One of my God moments this week is when I opened my eyes to wipe the sweat rolling down my face to look up to see Pastor Hampton and our bus driver Moses on their knees praying over this home.  Moses had his bible during the prayer walk and the home dedication.  God has truly blessed us with our new brother in Christ and bus driver Moses.  This was very humbly to witness such servanthood from these two gentlemen.  Pastor Hampton is quite the humble servant of Christ.  He is quiet but his actions speak volumes who all is around him.  We all need to get on our knees praying more often.

Pastor Dudley then presented Wuilmer and Cristine with their family bible.  He spoke was again to Wuilmer in a manner where Wuilmer was soaking up every word Pastor Dudley shared about making this house a godly home where he can raise his children knowing Jesus Christ.  After the bible team member Sherman presented the family with a house warming gift, a cross.  Sherman started this tradition last year on his first trip to Honduras.  Sherman is another advocate for Honduras and has been to speak at several associations and churches about his passion for Honduras.  Sherman shared with Wuilmer and his family back home we give a house warm gift to family who receives a new home.  Today we want to present you with a cross which Wuilmer hung directly over the entrance to his home.  Lastly Pastor Dudley presented Cristine to the key to their new home.  She in turn handed the key to Wuilmer as he unlock their new home and entered inside. 

Their was hugs and praises for one another as they all celebrated Wuilmer and Cristine's new home.  Ishmael was brought over by family and he set in a chair and watched another one of his family and friends receive a new hom.  After wards the children were found running and playing inside their new home.  They had a home with a floor, two doors and two windows.  They had a door with a lock on it and they were beyond excited about this gift from God.  Thank you to God first as well shared then to the North Americans for building his home along side of him and his family and community.  As the week was coming to a close there was several God moments about how beautiful it is to see a family and community come together as this one did.  The sense of community and support for everyone was very strong in El Porvenir.  God was definitely at work this week with our North American family and our Honduran family.  There was more than a house built here this week.

A House Becomes A Home

Mike and I went out to this empty lot several months ago we never knew what would take place.  Each time we assess someone for a home only God knows the outcome of each decision.  This empty lot on April 20 became a lot which was not empty any longer.  The empty lot filled up with 800 blocks, 52 bags of cement, a lot of rebar, loads and loads of sand and a bunch of people about forty to be exact who became family and friend.  The excuse we cannot speak the language, the excuse we are a different culture from each other and so many other excuses people come up with went right on down that dirt path.  Because this team from Roseboro Baptist and Lillington First Baptist and several other churches were obedient to God's calling in their life.  They said yes to God and in turn their lives were forever changed because of it.  They all got out of their comfort zones and took the plunge.  They dove in deep this week, not just physically but their spiritual lives was forever changed.  Several of them shared how humbling it was to come here and work with complete strangers on this empty lot and by the end of the day they were all laughing and sharing in the labor of the job.  El Porvenir is our little peace of heaven here on earth.  We are forever grateful for God introducing these folks to us and we are forever grateful for these North Americans going out on faith to serve such a mighty and powerful God along beside of us.

Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Psalm 112:2

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Psalm 24:8

My Three Amigas

These three young ladies were everyone's God moments this week.  They are Heather, Hayley and Andi.  They worked so hard giving out the water daily to all the workers.  They worked laying block, mixing mescal, sifting the sand, playing with the children, planned an amazing week of VBS and coming in each day to the and gift shop to sit and drink a soda with me and tell me about their day.  They were a ray of sunshine in everyone's life each and every day.  They were energized continuously with a ambition and attitude to get their jobs done.  These three ladies humbled their fellow team mates as they went about their day serving their Lord.  Ladies you three were over the top amazing and glorified the Lord in all you did this week.  To God be the glory for each of you and the Christian lives you are living at such young ages. 

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Ephesians 3:12

Working Pastors

This week we had four pastors serving their Lord not in words only but in action.  Pastor Siriceo, Pastor Hampton, Pastor Dudley, Pastor Steve, and the pillar of the community Juan worked hard this week sharing the gospel in many different ways. Of course they all came to build a house and this they surely did.  As well as breaking a sweat every day for about eight plus hours they were able to share the gospel by praying over a neighbor, sharing a devotional, riding a motorcycle, Pastor Siriceo for a home dedication and turn around to leave to go to a funeral for a family, go on a prayer walk, cook breakfast a couple of mornings, load up the materials on the Kia and there are so many more these pastors accomplished on their mission trip in Honduras.   Pastor Carlos who

lead the construction and drove the Kia for the mission team was a huge and humbling blessing for each of us.  So we were truly blessed with five pastors serving side by side this week.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,

Ephesians 6:7

Family Traditon

All who read this and know this community know on the last day these sweet folks kill multiple chickens from their yards to prepare a big pot of chicken soup for their gratitude on behalf of the North American and their community family coming out to help Wuilmer get his home.  This is similar to how years ago their was a barn raising.  This is what happen this week.  They all came together to build a home and on last day they celebrated by cooking a big pot of chicken soup which included four chickens, yucca, carrots, onions, cabbage and potatoes served with rice and tortillas.  There was at least forty plus people getting lunch today.  This including all the Honduran workers, all the children, Honduran women and the North Americans.  This was a day to celebrate a huge accomplishment by so many who love the Lord.  A beautiful ending to a beautiful week.

The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:21

Brothers in Christ

These two young men came on board about a week out from the team departing to come to Honduras.  There were two team members who came up with family emergencies at the last minute.  It was announced in church they needed two people if any one was interested.  Well the rest is history, here they stand coming to Honduras for the very first time not knowing how the week would unfold for each of them.  Benny on the left in the purple shirt got sick one day and felt best to stay behind and rest.  Well the next day Maury got sick as well.  So he stayed back to recoup too.  So at lunch they were sitting on the porch of the multi purpose building sharing life stories and getting to know each other.  I am not sure how  all this came to be but one conversation led to another one and Maury asked Benny how long had he been a Christian.  Benny shared I have been in many different churches all my life.  But Maury was persistent and said how long have you been a believer in Jesus Christ.  Benny shared he had never verbally received Jesus Christ.  So Maury was able to go through the Roman Road with Benny.  Benny accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  He shared for the first time in his life he felt what it was like to have true JOY in CHRIST JESUS. 

Benny came into the pulperia that afternoon to buy his soda and looked at me and said I have a huge God moment for tonight. I shared I cannot wait to hear what your God moment will be tonight.  We ate dinner, cleaned up the supper dishes and went into God moments.  I eagerly awaited for Benny to share.  Several people shared and not yet Benny.  So finally he started sharing from the bottom of his heart how he was our new brother in Christ.  Thank you God for your special timing.  You  God ordained these two gentlemen do be here at this time and place.  You ordained their being home sick at the same time so this could happen for Benny.  Thank you for Maury's persistence in making sure Benny understood what it took to be a believer in Jesus Christ.  Benny shared how blessed he was to be with such a godly group of people who live out their walk with their Lord daily.  He has learned so much about his faith by listening each day to others share and live out who Jesus truly is in their lives. What a testimony for all here this week.  Benny was blessed by Maury's persistence and the walk of all his other brothers and sisters God placed him with this week. 

AMEN.

Women's Conference

On March 25 two local churches came together to do a study on the Holy Spirit.  Colonia Undies and its sister church in Los Delicious brought seventeen ladies of a day of in depth study of God's Word on the Holy Spirit. They arrived to a pastry and cup of juice and introductions of what the study would entail for the day.  Just like in the states they were asked to cut off their cell phones during the bible study time.  We took a mid morning break and the ladies enjoyed a game of corn hole has well.  They did an amazing job sharing and answering some very deep questions about their relationships with the Holy Spirit.  We broke off for lunch with a wonderful bowl of bean soup and Jamaica tea. We gathered back together after lunch and did two skits, one group did one on the "flesh" and the other group did one on the "Spirit".  The flesh group was quiet interesting to say the least.  Their skit was took place in a bar with secular music and drinking of alcohol.  Also they added some dancing too.  This was the skit of the flesh.  I thought this to be quiet interesting and a very good point made about being in the flesh as humans.  The second group did one on the "Spirit".  A group of ladies made a home visit to a family who had visited their church.  They asked them where they Christians and they said no.  So the ladies asked them did they want to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  The entire family received Christ.  They sang hymns of praise and prayed over their new sisters in Christ.  There was quiet a comparison of the two skits, one sang secular music and the other sang hymns of praise, one got high on alcohol spirits and the other was high on the Holy Spirit.  Neither group knew what the other was going to do and what a strong contrast between the two.  Once again I have learn so much from my sisters in Christ from Honduras.  We closed by reading Isaiah 41 and Galatians 6:9 which are two of my favorite bible verses.  Throughout the day we probably read over forty bible verses pertaining to the Holy Spirit.  If you do not have this gift from God through His Son's death on the Cross I pray for you right now to received the greatest gift of all Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit from God our Father.  The Trinity if the greatest gift of life.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9

As we travel through life we cannot do it alone.  The Holy Spirit is there for those who believe in Jesus Christ.  Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life and lead you in the way of  the Lord.  Do not do it alone, you will grow tired and weary when you are in charge.  All God's people shout AMEN!!!

Rudy's Chickens

Mike and Rudy have been fine tuning the chicken coop for months.  The owls and other creatures have been swooping down eating the smaller chickens.  Other animals have been getting in there eating the eggs.  Now after many repairs Mike and Rudy have secured the girls and their eggs safely.  They even have built them nesting boxes where they have hatched 5 baby chicks.  Rudy was not to sure of the secured area for his girls at first.  But once he saw how happy they were and wanted to be there instead of roaming the yard it was also pleased.  Now we have five baby chicks and nine hens and one huge rooster and two smaller roosters.

The three roosters became a problem.  The larger rooster was not happy with the other two coming into his territory.  He was pecking them and chasing them around the coop and the yard.  There had to be a decision made on which rooster had to go.  So the big rooster was chosen.  As I was having my quiet time on the front porch of the missionary house I heard an life threatening squeal.  Well I looked up and Wilmer was hanging the bigger and older rooster from the tree to finish killing him off.  Later for lunch we had the most delicious pot of chicken soup.  Our friend Rudy did not join us for lunch.  We had the larger rooster for quiet a while and Rudy could not bring himself to eat his long time friend.  It was delicious and tender too.

 

Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; Proverbs 3:9

Basketball at Police Check Point

God blessed us with  means of providing recreation for the community police check point.  This was a huge blessing for us as well as for them.  We were able to give a local friend Edwin work as he welded the poles together.  Mike painted the back boards.  Mike, Pastor Carlos, Rudy and Wilmer went up to the police check point and dug a hole into the concrete parking lot.  There were about four policemen who joined in on digging the hole to place each pole into.  I got to go back up there with Mike and Pastor Carlos to put the rim and net in place.  As we worked the police chief came out and we handed him the basketball and he immediately started shooting the ball up to the net.  One young man around twenty two years old came out there and within ten minutes he was a natural.  It did my heart good to see these guys enjoying some recreational time.  I cannot imagine how intense their work must be on a daily basis.  This game of basketball will help relieve stress and relax from a day or night of working the field.  Thank you God for providing this gift to a group who truly appreciated it.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7