Home From Honduras

Reflections on my recent trip to Honduras abound as many good things occurred that were very encouraging to see. Last week I went with two other men to hold seminars for pastors and their wives in the cities of Talanga, El Porvenir, and Guaimaca. Seeing friends from years past is always a true blessing. I have been very fortunate to develop friendships with about a dozen Honduran pastors. It is an honor to serve these brothers who labor in obscurity yet are doing good jobs of shepherding God's people under their care. Many of you know that it is Leonard, Jack and my heart to minister to pastor's in remote areas where they have very few opportunities to attend seminars for encouragement and education.

As I reported earlier, we saw God show up (always a good thing!) and heal marriages which were falling off the cliff. Eight people were healed of things such as tumors, depression, and pain in various parts of the body. Physical healing is always an amazing thing to participate in as God brings healing as a result of his unending goodness and love for us. The pastor's deep expressions of gratitude for coming and sharing with them is incredibly humbling. It makes the cost of going seem insignificant compared to the hope and encouragement given to fellow co-laborers of the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tidbits of the trip for those who were not in church last Sunday. At El Porvenir there were two pastors who walked over 4 hours to attend the seminar. This is incredibly inspiring to continue onward in my own efforts to pastor were I am placed. (In my very first seminar I conducted in Omjon, Philippines one woman pastor started on Wednesday morning and arrived at 5:00 PM on Thursday to get to the closing session of the seminar.)
One of the hardest things for me to get used to during my travels to these remote places is the lack of hot water. How to bathe without going into shock each morning is always one of the major challenges of the trip. Each morning you take a deep breath and get the torment over with as quickly as possible. The 'deep breath' is to stifle the primal scream of anguish that wants to rise within me as good water runs down my back. The food is almost always good. And in those few times when you do not get enough to eat there is always the supply of Snickers and Butterfingers waiting to supplement the diet!
The flowering trees of Honduras are so gorgeous. Pictures (at least my pictures) do not do justice to their beauty.

As I close this entry let me give praise to the Lord for those in Honduras who serve in conditions most Americans would never submit too. So to Jorge, Carlos, Danilo, Henry, Elmore, Santos, Luis, Alvin, and the many others in the remote areas of central Honduras - WELL DONE.