My Favorite Part of Honduras ... Can You Guess What It Is?

Pray for the Children

Pray for these children ...

... these are the faces of the next generation of Honduras ...

Please pray for safety and protection for these children.  

There are several areas of Honduras that are unsafe and there is very little protection and security offered in these areas.  The country is suffering an epidemic of drug-trafficking and violence.   

  

Pray for the children ...

... these are the ones who can change the future of Honduras ...

More than half of Honduras' population are children, the majority of them living in poverty.  

Destitution drives them to desperate measures such as trying to illegally emigrate where relatives may be; they often end up incarcerated in Guatemala or Mexico. 

Please pray for the children ...

... they are the hope of a new generation.

Pepenadores, or garbage dump children are more prevalent in Honduras than any other country in the Americas.

Many children become "street children", often numbering in the thousands, who are then prone to 'extermination' by ruthless groups claiming social cleansing of that which is a nuisance. 

Many of the above groups of children and others get swept up by organized crime and exploited as gang members and sex workers.

Pray for the children ... 

Pray for children in Honduras who need additional care that their parents cannot give.

Pray for them to be resilient and strong, shielded by the arms of the LORD, Jesus, Himself.

Pray for the children ...

... that they will have enough food and water.  Children in rural areas often suffer from malnutrition, iron deficiencies and low birth weight.

... that they will be adequately clothed.

Pray for these children ...

... that circumstance and deprivation will not steal the smiles from their faces.

... that poverty will not smudge their innocence.

... that a lack of prosperity will not result in a lack of faith.

Pray for the children ...

... Please remember to pray for the children.

Facts and statistics taken from:

(compassion.com)
(operationworld.org)
(worldvision.org)

Evangelism ... Extending Grace!

"Who's in Evangelism today??"  

This was the question that was asked at the beginning or the end of a day in Honduras ...

Well, to answer that, first, ... what IS Evangelism?

By definition, it is ...

"the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness."

Now, for some of you reading this, I say this politely, ... "do you now know what Evangelism is simply because I typed out a written definition of it?" ... probably not.

If we love the LORD and are truly grateful for the precious gift He gave us by taking the punishment for our sins ... it should be easy to understand, easy to do, easy to explain, right?

But, sometimes, it's not ...

... many don't want to hear the explanation ...

... our society makes it difficult to share ... 

... those who disbelieve have tried to hinder ...

... everything around us is happening so quickly, can-we-just-be-still- for - a -moment?

For some of us, it is the part that makes us the most anxious and/or nervous ... and so we pray for the strength and the courage to be the "voice" of the LORD to those who desperately need to hear Him.

For some of us, it is a wonderful privilege and opportunity ... in the words of our teammate, Barb, "The greatest freedom I have ever experienced is found in complete abandon of the self and absolute reliance on my Abba.  I have never known a power greater than the fire raging in my soul while proclaiming the name of the risen Christ Jesus!"

It can be heartbreaking, emotionally draining and exhausting but the rewards are extraordinary and overwhelming.  For most of us, it is a "life-changing-and-enhancing-experience" and for all of us it is spiritually uplifting!

Here's Ben using an Evangecube to explain to these boys that Jesus Christ died for our sins, for their sins ...

An evangecube uses sequential pictures to tell how our sin separated us from God but that Jesus provided a way to come back into the presence of God.

Teammate Bob said the following about his service in Evangelism.  

"Out of all the things we did in Honduras, Evangelism has the

greatest influence for the longest period of time. I spent two days in Evangelism (6 hours a day) and found each person unique. While I had prepared one path for sharing the gospel, God often took me to other Bible verses based on what the individual needed.  Though it was challenging and emotionally draining, I experienced a peace and guidance in each and every case."  He went on to say that the first week back from Honduras was deflating and depressing because the mundane and routine of our everyday lives here is so insignificant compared to the eternal significance of leading someone to Salvation in Christ Jesus.   

Co-Leader Colleen said, "It was a great joy to visit and pray with those who love the LORD.  I was privileged to see the "tears of joy" from a new believer.  I was challenged to be a prayer warrior for those I met."

In the photo below, three Honduran police officers can be seen; two are sitting and one is standing up ... the next one to take a seat at an "Evangelism Station".  I took this photo because I was really impressed and wanted to remember that at this church there were MANY police officers who came through (mostly for the free sunglasses) but they went through Evangelism!  Several had bypassed the area and then some of our team made an extra effort to redirect these men, stating that it was "Muy Importante!"

Imagine the impact it could make on a community of people if the men who are instituted to serve and protect are "God-fearing" men ...

It only takes one to make a difference ...

Something that impacted me in Honduras were two words that teammate, Matt, had said during our sharing time in the evening ... 

"Extending GRACE ..."

What's Grace, you ask?

In Christian belief, Grace has been defined as "the love and mercy given to us by God, not because of anything we have done to earn it but because God desires for us to have it.

You know, there are many different types of people who come through the Brigades.  To them, we are strangers and to us, they are strangers ... who in reality just may be thieves, adulterers, prostitutes or even murderers ... and I can assure that these very people have come through the Brigades.

When we meet someone for the first time here in the USA, we don't know all there is to know about that person.  We may know a person for several years and still not know all there is to know about them.  And maybe that is best ... because sometimes our knowledge can be our greatest obstacle.    

In Honduras, when a person takes a seat at an Evangelism station, we may not know if he is a thief, if she is a prostitute, if he is a gang member ... unless we're told ... but it is not on us to judge the things they tell us about themselves.  It is ours to share with them that God loves them no matter what.  It is our privilege to speak on behalf of God to the Honduran people ... to take the hand of the stranger and tell them God's plan to save all who would believe.  

 

But what about here ... what about here in the USA where life is very different than that of Honduras?  

If I witness a young mother slap her tired, hungry child in the local Wal-mart because he is whiny and disruptive, would I choose to extend grace to her?  

If a person cuts me off on the roadway nearly causing a car accident, am I going to extend grace? 

If a person bumps into me at the grocery store and causes me to drop the items in my arms without apologizing or even stopping to assist me ... how much grace am I going to extend?  

What about the 23-year-old who went into the Los Angeles airport targeting TSA Agents ... what about the men responsible for the bombings at the Boston Marathon ... what about the numerous people responsible for the terrorist attacks on 9/11?

 
What about the person you saw this morning when you looked into the mirror???

 I may have trouble comprehending the actions of people around me but if I accept responsibility for my own thoughts, feelings and actions, I can honestly say ... WE ALL NEED GRACE!! 

WE ALL NEED GRACE ... whether we've admitted it or not ... WE'VE ALL HAD GRACE EXTENDED TO US ... whether we've accepted it or not ... and it is our responsibility as Christians to EXTEND GRACE to those around us.  

That's our Christian witness.

THAT'S EVANGELISM!

... and we're all in it ...