Day Six - Thursday, August 1, 2024

It takes many people for a mission trip to happen, not the least of which are prayer partners. We are thankful for the prayers of Tom, Darcel, Vinny, Lisa, Jamari, Vincent, Melodee, Gary, Adele, Sandy, John, Alice, Sandy, Amy, Brenda and Karin today.

Stan began our day with a devotion based on selected verses of Amos 7.

”Go prophesy.” Have we ever felt are called to do something we don’t feel qualified for? Amos was sent by God from tending sheep to prophesying to His people. Jesus came to rescue us by laying down His life.

Stan asked us to:

1. name a challenge I didn’t feel prepared for
2. describe how I got thru it
3. what did it teach me about Gods love

What were we asked to do on this mission trip that we didn’t think we could do — that with God’s help we did?

We closed with “Just give me Jesus” by Jeremy Camp.

(below) The view of Iglesia Evangelica Luterana Castillo Fuerte from the van as we pulled up off the bumpy, pothole-infested dirt road each morning. When our 2019 team came to Honduras, this Lutheran church building was only a dream. Amazing how God works.

Patrick photographed these three children of the congregation who have been hanging around with their mothers, who are staffing our registration desk. The information collected on the registration forms will be used by Pastor Junior to followup with the clinic attendees.

(below) Registration desk workers. Pastor Junior’s 17-year-old daughter, Marie, is in the center.

We had a successful final day. Lots of people came, and the weather was much cooler. We closed the clinic at noon after serving 67 clients.

(above) Brady Watson (with his wife) came through our stations, speaking perfect English so we could give our interpreters a break. But it was the last day, so in some ways it was difficult to serve him using JUST our native tongue, at least it was for Jamie who kept defaulting to “uno o dos”(1 or 2) and “major o peor” (better or worse) when he came through the testing station.

An 89-year-old agricultural field worker came through. He had worked in sweet potato, bean & other crop fields. He was happy to get reading glasses now that no one would hire him after age 80. Joel enjoyed their “conversation” so got a photo taken with him.

The Prayer Shawl Knitters at Nancy’s church, Lutheran Church of the Lakes, made 56 prayer squares for the mission trip.

Pastor Junior handed them out at his evangelism station, where every person who came to the clinic heard about the saving message of Jesus Christ.

The host (Pastor Junior) and his family and members of his congregation staged a colorful closing ceremony for us.

They presented each of us with a small token of their appreciation.

We presented each of them with a handwritten card and St. John’s presented them with a crucifix from Jerusalem.

Pastor Junior and Rosa were delighted with the gift as well as the MOST ministry orange t-shirts.

(above) Pastor Junior with his son Junior Junior and Pastor Joel Sarrault.

After the clinic closed our hosts and interpreters took us to see a statue of Jesus in the town of Cane. There is a “legend” about a 100 year old cross and the more recent large statue of Jesus.

(below) We were also taken to the top of a steep hill to see this Catholic church (Ermita de Nuestra Senora del Perpetuo Socorro) which was built by the only Honduran President who was from LaPaz.

We held our evening meeting in the hotel lobby, with Alysia asking us for our highs and lows. Oh, it was a wonderful time of sharing. Alysia said at one point today she was able to sit back and watch “her well-oiled” team successfully work their station. So she prayed for the team, the town of LaPaz and the ministry of the church.

Heather ended our meeting with a devotion about a Spanish hymn in the 1960’s named “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore” written by a priest who had toured the U.S. leading music workshops. This is one of the most popular modern hymns, based on accounts in Matthew, Mark and Luke … about the calling by Jesus of Peter and Andrew. The hymn is a call to surrender to Jesus.

As we reflect on our mission team work, we realize that God is the head of our team, so that T.E.A.M. work happens: Together Everyone Accomplishes More.