Our Mission Statement

Thursday, July 3

Blessings


July 3rd

Before I begin, I want to apologize for not posting last night.  I arrived yesterday and had a difficult finding my computer cords so I wasn’t able to give you all a post.  The great thing about last night was the baptism of one of our team members.  His name is Luke and it is a complete God thing he even came on this trip.  Luke was born in Honduras and adopted by U.S. citizens.  He really wanted to come and see where he was born and learn about the culture so he googled ‘mission trips to Honduras’, and TORCH was the third one down.  He contacted Mark Connell, who hooked him up with this particular trip due to the time he was available to come.  When he arrived he began studying with Jeremy Myers and was baptized last night.  We now have a new brother in Christ, and it is all due to God’s work!!

Today started, like all days in Honduras, with breakfast.  We had toast and fruit before beginning the day.  After breakfast we met in the chapel for morning Devo.  Jeremy Myers led us in our thoughts this morning, encouraging us to let God be our builder and see the wonders He can do.  He told the story of him building tents in his house for his little girls and how, at times, he tells them to build one.  After they build one, he sees that they need assistance so, of course, he is going to help them just like our Father helps us when we are needing assistance.  It was a great encouragement and I am thankful for being a part of worship because of it.

When devo was over we divided into seven groups (3 house building teams, 1 VBS team, 1 team to work in the day care, 1 to work in the kitchen, and 1 to assist with leveling the land in Mololoa to prepare for a garden).  The VBS team stayed at the mission house to prepare for VBS in Nuevo Oriental.  After we prepared we loaded the bus to go to the bodega to pick up VBS supplies and supplies for a new Special Needs Orphanage we have started going to.  Once we had the supplies we loaded the bus and visited the Special Needs Orphanage.  I must say it has been one of the best experiences I have had in Honduras.  It is a really neat place.  Part of the children’s therapy is to plant a garden.  I have some pictures I will post ASAP.  I was able to hold one of the younger children for a while which I enjoyed greatly.  He was so loving and sweet.  Some of the others passed balloons and blew bubbles as well.  It was a great experience and opportunity to love on some very wonderful children.  After about an hour and a half we left to go do VBS.  It was a very interesting experience, because we did not contact anyone to inform them we were coming.  We ended up having about 40-50 children participate.  We told/acted out the life of Jesus and sang songs.  We also did crafts with the children and provided them with a snack.  It was so much fun sharing Jesus with the children and playing with them.

Savannah Buchanan was one of the participants on one of the house builds in Mololoa.  When they arrived the team had to carry the tools up the mountain to the build site, luckily the wood was at the site so it made it a little easier. Another plus, was the land was flat so the team immediately began digging postholes!! Once the team began building many of the women and children in the community assisted the team in the build. One thing Savannah said she took from the build was the community involvement to help their neighbor.  I think Savannah was able to see a different side to what being blessed truly is!

Nathan Sullivan was on another one of the sites that was considered “a hard site” The team had to carry their tools to the site as well as the wood.  Believe me when I say this is no easy task!!  Luckily some of the locals assisted with taking the wood to the site.  Nathan said the build gave him a new perspective.  He said seeing the joy of a family of four living in a house 16x16 made him realize what is truly important.

Sadly, I cannot find anyone who was on the other build site, but from talking to others it was an easy site.  I am pretty confident in saying those who were involved in the 3rd build were also blessed by the experience.

Taylor Ford was on the team that assisted Tyler Gist in preparing the land for a garden.  The team went to the day care to assist Tyler in expanding the play area as well as prepare the land for a garden.  The team worked to level the land and remove boulders to make gardening easier. One of the things Taylor took from the experience is realizing the locals would have been paid 200 Limps (which equals $10 US money) for a day of work.

One of the groups, of about 4, worked in the feeding center.  They assisted the ladies in preparing the food and feeding the children in Mololoa.  The last team worked in the daycare singing, playing, and feeding the young children of Mololoa.

The plan tonight was to go to the Jesus Statue for devo once everyone returned and ate dinner.  However, weather did not cooperate with us at all.  So after dinner, which was incredibly AMAZING, we went to the chapel for devo.  I wish so badly I could have gotten the live stream to work, but Internet did not cooperate for me!  Anyway, Mark Connell led us in our thoughts in devo.  His lesson put a new meaning to the word “blessed”.  He made us think about what it truly meant to be blessed.  I encourage everyone to read Matt. 5 and consider what it means to be blessed!!

After devo was over the team was given instruction for tomorrow.  Sadly, group 1 will be leaving in the morning.  I do realize the family members of those in-group 1 are excited about them returning, but I’m selfish and I want them to stay (just being honest). But seriously, group one will be missed so very much, but I know they will be taking a piece of Honduras back with them.

I thank you all for your prayers and hope that you will all continue to pray for us.  I will continue to try and post on the live stream.  It will be on at 8:30 Central time.  I hope you all will tune in, if it works.  Love you all, until tomorrow Peace and Blessings!!

Brandy B 

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