Don't come to Honduras if you want to do a "feel good" mission trip. Don't come to Honduras if you want to go home afterwards with an easy departure. Don't come to Honduras unless you want to see and be a part of what Christ intended the church to look like.
Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Luke 10:8-9 ESV
Have you ever wondered how Paul , Luke, John, or any other O.D.(original Disciples) survived the “mission field” if they left everything behind? I know I did; until this month at least. Honduras is a country filled with chaos, hurt, danger, and corruption. What it doesn’t lack is hope, love, and biblical truth.
This month we spent our ministry time and a lot of our personal time with the church of Iglesia Misionera de Cristo, Christ’s Missionary Church. Team MannaFest was the only team that was not with the remainder of the squad while in Honduras because we got chosen to visit, evaluate, and be a part of a possible unsung hero in Honduras. We didn’t know what we were going to do, where we were going to stay, how we were going to handle being alone for a whole month, or who we were going with. We prayed and trusted God alone to keep us safe, provide for our needs, and have His glory shine through whatever ministry we served in.
I can definitely say we didn’t expect the month to turn out the way it did. I had previously done some research on the person who was our assigned contact and it looked like we were going to do “typical” missionary stuff: deliver food packages, teach English, help with children’s ministry in some way, etc.
On August 1st, 2013, we arrived at Zion’s Gate (that’s where the rest of the squad was for the day) decently late, so our contact didn’t pick us up until August 2nd. We kept getting times that the contact was going to be here and from 7 AM until 11 AM (maybe later?), we waited and waited for this mystery woman named Star showed up. Finally, two pick-ups pull into the property with two men and one woman. We met Star, and excitedly exchanged hugs and “oh my goodness-es”. We knew she was a part of a church with a pastor named Moises (man numero uno from the truck) and his son, Moises Jr. and man numero dos, but that was the extent of our knowledge of the beginning of this adventure.
After about a 30-45 minute drive, we arrived at a two story building that would soon be our comfortable home for us 7 world racers. We were able to go to the store to buy groceries and settle in with instructions that ministry began the next day with the tear down and construction of a woman (Blanca) from the church’s roof. For the next week we worked diligently and enthusiastically to complete our task. During this week though, God began to open His floodgates of blessings along with opening our eyes to how His church truly functions. Moises had announced to the church our living situation that included no consistent running water, limited food budget, and lack of luxury. Blanca wanted to bless us because of what we were doing for her that she cooked for us at least one meal a day (if not a few snacks throughout the day), did our laundry in her laundry machine, and let us use her shower that had running water (woo no buckets!). The blessings were too overwhelming in a completely humbling way and her heart to serve and to give what she could was Jesus in the flesh.
The next week we helped out in a cooking ministry to help out local moms cook for malnourished kids that are either getting home from or leaving to go to school. During this week, we were able to do some in-home visits as well to pray, worship, and read scripture with some church family that did not make it to a service the previous week. On our way to one of the homes, one of the women from the church stopped us and had us visit her “tortilla factory”. She blessed us with some cold Coke for us to enjoy with them along with some tortillas and cheese as a snack. On our way back home from the multiple visits, she stopped us again, gave us 50+ tortillas for dinner that night, another Coke to enjoy that night, and a promise to bring us tortillas whenever we needed so that we were completely nourished.
That weekend, we went to visit another church member (Ana) in a town about an hour (maybe an hour and a half) away. She cooked us a delicious Honduran meal, provided fresh of the tree fruit for us to enjoy, and allowed us to help her lesson that night with some local women and children. I was able to share my testimony that night as well as pray with many women for healing along with the team. The women that came were women that we visited earlier that day to pray, worship, and read scripture with. We stayed the night in Ana’s home and were able to hear about her discipleship and desire to have God’s Kingdom radiate through the world.
The last week we were able to do a little bit of everything: in home visits, cook for the kids, teach classes at the church, hospital visits, and worship. When we left on Sunday, the entire church prayed over us and I received more hugs that day that I think I’ve ever received in one sitting. After church, Rocio and Paco (two members that we were able to serve on the worship team with) invited my team leader and me to lunch at their house as a thank you for serving. They cooked us a delicious meal, spoke truth over each of us, prayed over us, and washed our feet as Jesus did to His disciples.
Throughout the whole month we had the chance to get to know the Chino’s: Pastor Moises, Sofia, Moises Jr., and Isai. The entire family welcomed us with some incredible blessings from as “small” as a ride to the mall every once in a while to as “big” as providing a full jar of peanut butter for us to snack on and a hot shower. Their blessings were simply a reflection of their hearts and the amount of love and generosity that is within those hearts.
The church as a whole took care of us in a very physical way that Jesus told the disciples would happen if they go out. IMC loved us as if we were there for years rather than just a few weeks. They asked what our needs are and if the person who asked couldn’t make it happen themselves, they’d humbly ask someone else to help and we were never in need.
I’m not writing this to say that if you go somewhere expect to be spoiled and God is promising you this. I’m writing this as an encouragement that even in the murder capital of the world: God is rising up disciples. They are treating each other as brothers and sisters as well as taking care of their missionaries like Jesus told His disciples would be treated.
