Snapshots from Honduras

Hey friends, I'm back from Honduras! So how did it go? What did I do? Well, let me start with my team, then I'll tell you how we invested our two weeks together.

The team (except Linda and Sharon) + Jonathan

The churches of Weiser, Idaho have sent teams to Honduras bi-annually for the last ten years. Some of our team had been on previous trips, but it was the first time for many of us. Twelve are from Idaho, two from Minnesota, one from South Dakota, and one all the way from Connecticut (plus two Honduran translators). Despite our varying ages and geographical origins, we quickly became a family.

Dirt road near Mogotes, Honduras

For three days, the team provided medical and dental aid to villages in the department of Yoro, doing gospel-centered songs, skits, and crafts with the children. I spent most of that time helping the dentist, Louisa.

Kids' ministry in Morazan

Medical consultation in Marales

Louisa and me in Marales

 Back in Tegucigalpa, we got involved in many activities at our home-base, Koinonia Baptist Church and Primary School.

Sitting in on classes

Recess

Youth group friends: Fernanda, Nicole, and Rebekah

 Between painting the church and being invited into people's homes for lunch, we also had the chance to get involved with some local ministries.

Casita Kennedy Orphanage

Youth fundraiser at Burger King

Herb sharing his testimony at the dump

Face-painting at AFE school

Experiencing Honduran hospitality

It's hard to summarize all that the Lord did in those two weeks. Even within our team, growth was visible. I wish there were words to describe these wonderful people whom I've come to love so dearly.

Nani visiting me in Dental

Aimee, Jonathan, and Suzeth

Holding a cherub in Morazan

Kyle with some kids in Marales

Erienne and me in 'Pharmacy'

 Thanks for reading and for walking beside me on this journey. If you have any questions, shoot me a message sometime. I'd love to hear from you!
*Click here to see more pictures! (I didn't actually bring my camera, so many thanks to my teammates for providing the photos.)

Making Friends in Marseille

Where to start? How to begin? What to say? Is it even possible to describe ten days of cross-cultural ministry within a few short paragraphs? Thank the Lord for pictures.

The first two days were spent at university campuses, engaging strangers in conversation. This was a particularly stretching experience for the introverts on the team (which were most of us), but the Lord demonstrated His faithfulness by using each of us when we least expected it.

There were several opportunities to meet our new friends for coffee. I think everyone on the team has someone with whom they plan to keep in contact.

Friday night, our host family had a barbecue and invited all their neighbors. Linguistically and socially, this was the most difficult night for me. I'm not very skilled in the art of conversation in English, and most of the guests only spoke strongly-accented French. Thankfully over half our team spoke French, so others were able speak when I couldn't.

Saturday afternoon, I had my first un-aided conversation with a local in French, inviting her to join us for an event at a nearby billiards club. Unfortunately she couldn't come, but someone else did. Casper, a vagabond from Poland, was one of only three guests. The message of the gospel hit him hard, and the Holy Spirit was definitely stirring in his heart. He was so overwhelmed that he left before the end, but he heard the majority of it.

This is the little church we attended in Enco de Botte, one of the outer neighborhoods of Marseille. Afterward, the pastor showed us his bible distribution warehouse and shared about his ministry.

Sunday night we had an "American Party." Many people in Marseille, especially young adults, love the chance to meet Americans and practice their English. This event was one of the highlights for most of us. We met a lot of interesting people from around the world: Vietnam, Gabon, Algeria, Morocco, Uganda, Belgium, France (of course), and even a few fellow Americans.

 

In the midst of all the hub-bub, we managed to see a great deal of this vast city and became quite accustomed to the public transportation system. We also got to attend our hosts' student bible study and help them paint their house. Despite the diversity represented on our team, we really felt like family.

Thanks for all your prayers. I had almost zero problems with the food or jetlag, and we saw the Lord working in many hearts and were encouraged to meet several local believers. It was such a rich experience, and I wish I could share every last detail about the things we saw and people we met. But alas, my whole heart could never fit onto a single blog. Check out more pictures on my Flickr account. I look forward to the next update in six weeks, when I can tell you about a completely different adventure in Honduras.