The great escape, part 1

This past week 7 very brave souls took a journey that none of us will soon forget. OK, we were not that brave, but we did take a trip and we will not forget it anytime soon. The week is over and the scouting trip to Costa Rica is in the books and a new work is in the second phase of planning. Allow me to report what we have seen and done.

The scouting team consisted of Brian "McGyver" Steffy; Steve "Sparky" Kemp; Margarita Conchita Reeves; Never Ben Wright (aka Nervous Nellie, the food nazi, and blown gasket); Jill "Jewels the walking blond joke" Wright; Minor "Cinco minutos" Perez; and Terry "El Jefe" Reeves. With a team like this, you know anything but the ordinary would happen. I am proud to report we lived up to this reputation. We have come, conquered, and left our impressions everywhere. Gringo mania is now a commonly used expression in Costa Rica (at least in some circles).

Let me begin by stating the obvious: Costa Rica was well named. This country is the most beautiful place I have ever visited... and that includes west Tennessee. Ken Haab's popular word, "Lush," was used to the point of overuse. The vast array of flora and fauna was amazing. The dense jungles, rain forests, cloud forests, and desert-like vegetation was like a field study of biology. The mountains, volcanoes, canyons, vistas, plains, and coastline a study of geology and geography. The monkeys, birds, sloths, lizards, crocodiles, and insects was like a study in zoology. In other words, we were overwhelmed (very similar to many of the classes I took in college). In all honesty, words cannot describe what we saw.

Of course my main point of reference for comparison is Honduras. Which is not a fair comparison, but it was really the only one I had to work with for the trip. And for many of you that are reading this blog, it is the only point of reference you have, too. Since I have traveled all over Honduras I found myself comparing different towns, cities, areas, etc. with what I saw in Costa Rica. I constantly found myself (along with the others) saying things such as, "This reminds me of Choluteca... this reminds me of the road that we use to go out to Didasko... this reminds me of the road that leads out to Santa Ana... this reminds me of the intersection that we see when we enter Teguc from the Good Shepherd Children's Home... this neighborhood reminds me of Los Pinos...." Minor, who attends Freed-Hardeman and is from Costa Rica (and our guide / interpretor for the trip) has never been to Honduras. All of our references were driving him crazy...

When asked by Nervous Nellie Wright what the most obvious contrasts were between Honduras and Costa Rica, the team came up with a few things for the list. 1. The country is obviously better off financially. 2. The roads are greatly superior (I would even go on to say wonderful). They were well paved, striped, and had reflectors (known as cat eyes in Costa Rica because they are red). 3. The cars are nicer. And the buses. 4. The air is cleaner. 5. There is VERY little trash and litter anywhere. The country is very clean. 6. There is a lot of grass and it is well manicured and trimmed. 7. The people are better educated and therefore able to get better jobs. 8. The core family unit is much stronger. The male presence in the homes is obvious. 9. Traffic laws are actually obeyed! 10. There is a very strong middle class which makes the infrastucture more stable.

We found many similarities as well. 1. The natural beauty of the two countries are very much alike. 2. Both are very mountainous. 3. The foods are very similar: lots of beans and rice with chicken, beef, pork, and fish. Lots of fresh fruits. 4. Both are major exporters of pineapple, bananas, and coffee. 5. The people of both countries are very welcoming and American friendly. 6. Both countries operate on Latino time (starting and ending times seems to be a point of reference and is not to be taken literally). 7. The opportunity for evangelism is great. Both countries are very open and willing to study and learn. 8. Tegucigalpa and San Jose are both huge cities with lots of traffic congestion. And like Honduras, most of the Costa Rican population can be found in about 5 or 6 major cities. 9. Futbol is king (aka soccer). 10. American influences (resturants, grocery products, fashion, etc) are everywhere.

During the week we were here, we traveled about a bijillion kilometers. If you want to convert that into miles, it would be 1,200 miles, more or less (mas o menos). And most of that is driving up and over mountain after mountain, on winding and curving roads. I would have to use the power of square to calculate how many times I pushed the clutch in to change gears on the 15 passenger van we rented. I would also need a calculator to add up the number of 1 lane bridges we crossed. We saw the aftermath of several rock slides, toppled trees blocking the road, and road erosion, causing driving to become constant "We nearly met Jesus today" moments. Not that meeting Jesus is a bad thing... we just didn't want to be early arrivals.

We traveled to the southern part of Costa Rica, to the area of Perez Zeledon and Buenos Aires. This valley produces tons of pineapple and other fruits. We were able to see one of the 6 Indian reservations located in this area. Over 45,000 native Indians live in this area. We also traveled to the western Pacific coast to see Manuel Antonio National Park. We saw miles of Coconut farms in this area. Although hot as blazes, Choluteca still wins in the "heat index" competition! We also went to the very mountainous northern region where Arenal, a very active volcano, can be found. Coffee plantations line the hillsides and thermal hot springs can be found here. We also stayed in the central area of the country, just outside San Jose, where lots of factories, international business outsourcing centers, and huge shopping districts can be found.

The fellowship of the team came to an end on Tuesday when Brian was the first to go back to the States. Steve followed on Wednesday while Ben and Jill left Friday (today). Minor, Margaret and I leave Saturday. We were supposed to leave Friday but God blessed us with an extra day when we found out that our plane was overbooked. We bravely volunteered to stay and fly home tomorrow. In exchange for our kindness and sacrificial spirit, we were able to stay in a very nice hotel tonight with dinner and breakfast provided (and complimentary round trip tickets for a future flight of our choice). But, best of all, we were able to spend the entire day with Rodolfo (Rudy). Today was his day off from work so he took a 2 hour bus ride from Cartago to be with his Gringo papacita and mamacita. We even had time to have Rudy pull a phone prank on Nathan (although Nate claims he did not fall for the prank because he recognized Rudy's voice.... personally I do not buy it!).

My next posting will go into detail about the meeting we had with the missionary that is working in Buenos Aires and the planning sessions we had with him. As I close, I will use a phrase that is used in Costa Rica... Pura Vida!!!!! May God bless the efforts of this week as Torch makes plans to bring our 1st team to Costa Rica in May, 2011.

Terry

The race is on....

I pulled an all nighter last night. The past couple of weeks has been brutal as far as my work schedule, going through Honduras paperwork, and recording checks and making deposits! Thank goodness Margaret has been here to help and my sister-in-law Jenny has had my back. WE have received well over a hundred applications so far and I am expecting a couple dozen more in this week. We have deposited several thousand dollars and a lot of it has already been sent south. Hopefully as I write this blog our reservations are made for the hotels in Tegucigalpa, Choluteca, and Catacamas. A lot is done but much more to do.

The race is on. To buy airline tickets. I have already received a LOT of flight confirmations! People are booking flights right and left and seats are starting to go fast. I have confirmations on all 3 carriers so far... American, Continental, and Delta. I am expecting to have some of the Florida group book on TACA before it is over. So, if you are playing the "wait and see" game, watching and waiting to see if ticket prices go down, good luck. Just remember, there is only a certain number of seats on each flight, and once they are gone, they are gone. Buying early will allow you to get the flight you want on the days you want. AS the old saying goes, "The early bird gets the worm!" Or, in this case, the early Torcher gets the seat!

7 of us (Brian Steffy, Steve Kemp, Ben and Jill Wright, Minor Perez, Margaret and I) will be flying down to Costa Rica this coming Friday! Margaret, Minor, and I will be driving to Atlanta to catch our flight on spirit Airlines (Ken Haab, I hope you have been telling me the truth about this company!!!). Our trip will be focused on meeting the local minister at Perez Zeledon, in the southern part of Costa Rica. The church there was started about a year ago and is prime real estate for a campaign group. It is going to be an exciting trip, especially since we have to drive over the 11,350 foot tall Cerro de la Muerte (the mountain of death). Seriously, I am not making this up!

We will be meeting with the preacher, visiting several hotels in the area (looking for just the "right" one... not too nice... not too bad... just right"). We will also be visiting the local hospital to meet with administrators about visitation procedures, etc. We will also look for stores where we will be able to buy supplies such as bulk foods for food distributions. There is also an orphanage nearby that we plan to visit. We will worship at the local congregation and meet the members too. We will also drive around the area to see the neighborhoods and the outlying areas and look for a possible retreat location.

All of this is preparations for the May, 2011 trip to Costa Rica. I have had Costa Rica in my sights for the past 3 or 4 years but did not have the right contacts until recently. Minor Perez, one of the students at Freed-Hardeman that lives in my dorm, is from Costa Rica and has played a huge part in organizing this trip. He, along with Isaac Barrentes, who is also from Costa Rica, will help plan and organize the May trip next year. Ben Wright, from Kittanning, PA, will be co-leader of the trip. To say we are excited about the trip would be an understatement!

So, I am expecting this next week to fly by! In the next 4 days, besides my regular work load, I will be focusing my energy on the Costa Rica scouting trip and the Honduras trip. For the rest of you, focus on fund raising and buying airline tickets! I can assure you, June 1st will be here before you know it. And before that final payment is due, there will be additional paper work that will have to be turned in. rules sheets, photocopies of passports, Spanish release forms (those under 18), to name a few.

Using white water rafting as my illustration, our trip looks like this so far: November - January we picked out our rafting outfitter; February we picked up our gear for the trip; March we loaded the raft and pushed off into the river and have now started down steam... and the roar of the white water can be heard ahead!!! It will not be very long till we will be in the middle of the rapids and flying down the river! If you have rafted before then you know exactly what I mean! If you haven't... then all I can say is try to get ready! Tighten up your life vest, strap on your helmet, 'cause we are about to go on a ride!

Man, I am so excited! I know you would never know from reading all of this, but believe me, I am so ready to go on the trip this year. And I know most of you are right there with me. Come on in, the water is great! "I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send, who will go for us? Then I said, here am I, send me!" Isaiah 6:8

RUE2B?

TR

I'm leavin' on a jet plane

March 1st. Oh my goodness, it is already March 1st! Today is the deadline for all of the early birds who signed up to go to Honduras this summer. I have received dozens of applications and deposits and to all of you I want to say "Thank you!" I have also received dozens of emails begging me to hold their spots because "the check is in the mail." To those I say, "the grace period is in effect." I want to discuss the parable of the 10 virgins and the oil for their lamps, but I am going to pass on it. The final mission team roster will be complete in about a week.

I am excited! Just about every night I am having a phone conversation to a group leader discussing the trip. Nate and I have been talking a lot and making tentative plans about the dividing of the team. Plans are in the works to have meetings with several of the "segundos" to discuss the projects and plans for the summer. Healing Hands has a container scheduled for us to ship out in less than 6 weeks, groups are collecting supplies, and storage buildings are starting to fill up. It is hard not to get fired up about all of the stuff going on right now!

But today I am posting flight information. Some have already bought tickets and are just waiting to pack their suitcases and go! But for the rest of us, the numbers game has begun. Watching websites, checking prices, and comparing fares will become a daily routine until we lock in on that great deal on a flight. So, with that in mind, let me share with you your flight options and some websites of interest. Good luck and may the hunt begin!

The first thing to remember is to book your flight on the correct dates!!! We will depart on Thursday, July 1 and will return on Sunday, July 11. The second thing to remember is that we are flying into Tegucigalpa, Honduras! The third thing to remember is to double check the first two things before you buy your ticket. Now that we have that straight, let's proceed to the booking station.

You have 4 carriers to choose from to fly into Tegucigalpa on July 1. They are: American Airlines; Delta airlines; Continental Airlines; and TACA. All have multiple departure cities, except TACA, which is limited to just a few places. Depending on where you want to leave from greatly determines your flight options and ticket cost. Almost all American Airlines flights will connect in Miami, Florida, where you will change planes. Nearly all Continental Airlines flights will connect in Houston, Texas, where you will change flights. Delta flights normally route though Atlanta. TACA typically leaves from Miami.

All 4 carriers have websites that you can go to check flight availability and price. You can book your ticket on these sites using a credit or debit card. Here are the websites:

American Airlines: http://www.aa.com/

Delta Airlines: http://www.delta.com/

Continental Airlines: http://www.continental.com/

TACA Airlines: http://www.taca.com/

You can also search for tickets on several different discounted websites. these sites are used by lots of people and sometimes you can find cheaper fares on them than the actual airline sites. Here are a few sites that you can search:

http://www.expedia.com/

http://www.cheaptickets.com/

http://www.cheapotickets.com/

http://www.kayak.com/

http://www.bookingbuddy.com/

You can even do it the old fashioned way and use a travel agent. However you book your ticket, keep a few things in mind:

1. Ticket prices right now are pretty high. Depending on where your departure city is located, ticket prices can run between $400 - $800 right now. Prices should drop and most likely will start dropping soon. Checking websites on a regular basis will help you see the market price as it goes up and down.

2. There is no "best time" to buy your ticket. I have been told that the cheapest rates are posted late, late at night when most people are in bed. I do not know if that is true or not, I can only tell you the prices will vary from week to week. you just have to be patient and be ready to pounce when the moment is right.

3. Do not wait too long to buy your ticket. There is over 180 people ON OUR TRIP ALONE looking to buy tickets! This does not include the other mission groups out there that will be traveling at the same time we will be going to Honduras. Buying early guarantees you a seat. Waiting for that great deal could cost you if the flight sells out. If a ticket price falls in your budget / price range, buy it!

4. Once you have purchased your airline ticket, email me your flight itinerary so I can know when you are coming in and on which flight. Once the entire team is booked I will be able to generate a flight list that can be sent out by email so that you can see who is on your flight and how many team members you will be traveling with on the flight.

Here are key airport codes you will need to know when you are searching for flight information (this is just a short list, if you want to fly from another location, simply look up the airport code on the airline website when you are looking at flight information):

Miami: MIA

Nashville: BNA

Memphis: MEM

Houston: IAH

Raleigh: RDU

Washington, DC: IAD

Birmingham: BHM

Atlanta: ATL

If you are flying on American Airlines, you will most likely connect in Miami. The flight information from Miami to Tegucigalpa is as follows: MIA to TGU on AA flight #953 departing at 10:15 am and arriving at 10:35 am.

If you are flying on Delta, you will connect in Atlanta. The flight information from Atlanta to Tegucigalpa is as follows: ATL to TGU on Delta flight #551 departing at 10:10 am and arriving at 11:45 am

If you are flying on Continental Airlines you will connect in Houston. The flight information from Houston to Tegucigalpa is as follows: IAH to TGU on CO756 departing at 9:10 am and arriving at 11:14 am.

If you are flying on TACA Airlines from Miami your flight information is as follows: ATL to TGU on TA375 departing at 3:00 pm and arriving at 4:30 pm with one stop.

So, when booking your flight, choose your departure city and Tegucigalpa as your destination. Make sure your flight information is accurate with the correct dates going down and returning. Make sure to check all flight options to make sure you have enough time in between connections to make your flights and that you do not have any overnight lay overs (sometimes the cheapest flights will have you traveling at odd hours with overnight connections.... you do not want to do that so make sure you have your connections selected accurately!!!) Double and even triple check all information before you purchase.

Baggage.

You are allowed 2 pieces of luggage to check onto the plane. Here is the most recent policies on baggage:

TACA

1 carry on and 1 personal item.

No charge for up to 2 bags as long as they weigh LESS than 50 pounds. 51-70 pounds a charge of $55 will apply per overweight bag. Over 70 pounds is $125 and will be considered "Standby" (AKA That Ain't Coming Amigo"... the bag will be late coming down)

Delta:

1 carry on and 1 personal item

2 bags (under 50 pounds) free. If over 51 pounds: $50 per bag. Over 70 pounds will not be allowed on board!

Continental Airlines

1 carry on and 1 personal item

1st bag is free (up to 50 pounds) 2nd bag will cost $30. Bags over 50 pounds will be charged $50 per bag. Any bag over 70 pounds will not be allowed to board the plane.

American Airlines

1 carry on and 1 personal item

2 bags (under 50 pounds) free. Bags over 50 pounds will be charged $50 per bag. Bags over 70 pounds will not be allowed to board the plane.

I know that was a lot of information. But hopefully this will get you off and running in the right direction. there are 1-800 help numbers on all of the websites if you have specific questions about booking your ticket. Good luck finding your right ticket and the right price. It might be March 1st, but time is ticking and tickets will go fast. There are only so many seats on a flight so make sure you are get one! Let me know if you have any questions, I will be glad to help any way that I can. We will have people traveling from all over the U.S. but we will all have the same destination. RUE2B?

TR

Things to look forward to - Volume 1

Well it has certainly been a long time since I've entered the "blogosphere" but I'm glad to be back and pumped about our upcoming trip! I'm writing to get our creative juices flowing - yes we are still months away from our trip, but there is still a lot of planning to do, and we want to get everyone involved!
With such a large group this year, we are going to have to think outside the box on some of our projects and daily operations. We have already started putting together ideas and we want you to get excited with us about our activities! Over the next several months, I will be posting information about specific service opportunities and I want you to be thinking about how God can use you. (Including those of you who might not be able to go with us this year - Please don't forget how important you are in our work in Honduras! We need your help with fundraising, donations, and most importantly - PRAYER!)
Volume 1 of Things to look forward to is new to TORCH - The Patch Adams Crew. Every year we certainly send multiple teams to local hospitals to spend time with children and families who are dealing with illness. I have always found this to be one of the most difficult days for any TORCHER, whether it is your first year or a veteran, the hospital is a place that really tugs at your heart. To see children, so innocent, so young in these desparate situations, it is tough to stay positive sometimes. I think for many who have been to Hospital Escuela, the experience hits so hard personally, and affects us so deeply, that we can miss out on what our mission is. I will be the first to admit that I have walked out in tears, sobbing over the conditions, knowing that for many of the children there, there is little hope. And it is a struggle to look a child with cancer in the eyes and bring them cheer and be a source of hope. Of course, we pray over them and their families. And sure, we bring them toys and stuffed animals, crayons and bubbles, but I believe that we can do just a little more than that! So with the introduction of The Patch Adams Crew, we bring a different kind of cheer and a different kind of hope.
For those of you who don't know Patch Adams, it was a film based on the life of a man named Hunter "Patch" Adams. Robin Williams played to role of Patch, and to give a brief overview, Patch saw an opportunity in the medical field - an unorthodox approach to patient treatment. They say that laughter is the best medicine, so he began bringing humor and ammusement into the hospital. Unfortunately in the movie, his medical professors and "higher ups" didn't appreciate his methods.
Luckily for us - we don't have to worry about Medical Jurisdiction and Precedent - we can just be FUN! So you might be wondering what The Patch Adams Crew will involve? Plain and simple - BE GOOFY! We are going to have clown suits, wigs, red noses, big shoes, face paint, and most importantly - BIG personalities!!! We are literally going to bring Joy and Smiles and Laughter into the hospital and be a huge blessing to everyone we come in contact with! Think about it - what would be more fun to an ill Honduran child than some gringos dressed up with face paint and running around like the 3 stooges?! The cool part about The Patch Adams Crew is that where in most situations like this, language is a barrier. But everyone in the world speaks GOOFY! Sure, we'll teach some key words along the way, but I guarantee no words will be necessary to bring laughter into the hospital wards! I believe with all of my heart that THIS is the medicine that these kids need, then we follow up with love and prayer. There is nothing greater than bringing joy to a child, and if only for a little while, give them a break from the real world and let them be a kid. Let the parents see their children happy, give them a moment of peace. God is going to work WONDERS through this team - Are YOU Ready To BE a part of it?

What we need- Supplies supplies supplies! We are in the process of rounding up clown costumes and wigs, but if you can help, we need all we can get! We need face paint, and A LOT of it! Clown noses, wigs, oversize shoes; anything that says "Wacky", we need it! Simple magic tricks, bring it on! We welcome your ideas, there is no established standard for The Patch Adams Crew, so if you have insight, please share with us!

How can God use you in this ministry? What doors will he open, and will you have the faith and the confidence to walk through them?

NCR

Rescue the parishing

a

This morning during worship assembly at the Estes Church of Christ, Jesse Robertson, one of the pulpit preachers at Estes and a Bible teacher at Freed-Hardeman, gave the lesson. The scripture reading came from Matthew 25... anyone from Torch Missions knows the passage well. As Jesse walked up to the stage a photo taken from a recent trip to Haiti was projected on the wall. The sermon focused on the mission outreach going on in Haiti as related to Matthew 25.

As we looked at the photos and the devastation in Haiti we listened intently to what Jesse was saying about the work going on there. It is in times of desperate situations that you see the amazing bravery and sacrifice f those who are going into the line of work. Amidst the ruin and destruction and the death you see the will to live and to move from the Haitians and the humanitarianism outreach from all over the world. Dozens of volunteer teams from the church have gone in and worked in these conditions without giving a second thought to their own comfort and safety.

Over 1.5 million dollars has been sent to Estes from individuals, organizations, and congregations. It is just one of several congregations that are directly involved in the work going on in Haiti. Estes is organizing their 5th team to go to Haiti in less than 3 weeks. And Estes is just one spoke of the wheel of help going in.

Gayle Davidson, one of the long time Torch team leaders from Melbourne, Florida, just arrived home a day ago. She was part of the 4th medical team IRC has sent to Haiti in the past 3 weeks. Orthopedic surgeons, nurses, EMT's, and paramedics have been involved in the work with the IRC med teams working in the remnants of the hospital that was in Port Au Prince. Gayle has been instrumental in gathering medical supplies and medicines to take to Haiti and getting them across the Dominican Republic's boarder into Haiti. There base of operation was the Son Light Children's Home, where Roberta Edwards, supported by the Estes congregation, works. Food and supplies were packaged and distributed by local missionaries from this point.

It amazes me what tremendous amount of work, supplies, donations, etc, can be generated during a time of crisis and need. Besides Estes and IRC, I know that the Central Church of Christ in Sarasota and the Northeast Church of Christ in Tampa, are also very actively involved with relief efforts. And this is just my tiny little corner of the world... imagine what all is taking place around the country! When the need is great the "sleeping giant" responds in a mighty way. I would love to hear what others out there have / are doing for the Haitian relief effort. Write me at reeves.tl@gmail.com

However, as we all know, other mission points around the world are still in need. Even though the spotlight has been on Haiti, there are many other places that are hurting and in need of help and assistance. Honduras is one of them. The assistance in Honduras, a continuous need, is not only there but amplified from last year's political unrest. The international community turned its back on Honduras as they stood up to Mel Zelaya and said, "enough is enough!" Paying a costly price, Honduras chose integrity and honor in defending its constitution in the mist of the over throw of Zelaya. Financial aide, goods, and services were stopped during the past 8 months and the people of Honduras, especially the poor, paid the price. The need in Honduras is overwhelming and we cannot forget them.

So, as we gather supplies and seek donations to pay for food, clothes, medical supplies, and more, we hope and pray that the generosity of our congregations, members, friends and family will not fail us. I encourage each and every one of us to work diligently to collect the supplies listed on the blog, to write letters of support to raise money, and to do fundraisers to help prepare us for the trip we are taking this summer.

Finally, please remember that applications and deposits are due at the end of this month. On March 1st those on the waiting list will begin filling any spots that become vacant from those on the list who have not turned in paperwork and deposits. 2 weeks and counting!!!! The Lord continues to open new doors this summer for our team and I am more excited than ever for the work we are going to do this year. I will talk more about it in future blogs. Until then, take care and may God be the focal point of all we say and do.

Terry Reeves

in case you haven't heard

Last Wednesday was a day many of us have been looking forward to with anxious eyes. Honduras officially installed its new president, Porfirio Lobo, as the new leader. The 62 year old businessman takes the reins after a turbulent 6 month ride by interim president Roberto Micheletti, who led the country during the exile of ex-president Mel Zelaya. International pressure on Honduras during this time was immense as Honduras endured economic sanctions and boycotts from countries who failed to recognize Micheletti as president. Zelaya was removed from office after trying to illegally change the Honduran Constitution to allow him to have a chance to run again for office. The Honduran constitution allows only 1 term of office for a president, whether it is for 1 day or for a full 4 year term. That part of the constitution is not allowed to be amended.

Although the inauguration did not receive a lot of fanfare worldwide, it went off without any problems and the transfer of power was completed in a very professional and dignified way. Tim and Mark were just a few of the many who where there for the inauguration and the president's inaugural ball (rumor has it that Mark was actually all dressed up in a suit!). With the new president in place and the political situation resolved (Zelaya was given official permission to leave the country to go to the Dominican Republic) a new chapter is about to be written. Lobo, from the conservative party, will hopefully bring Honduras back to the center of the political pendulum and restore assistance to the poor and needy of Honduras. And, just as importantly, financial aide will begin to return to the country and mission teams will once again arrive and work. The year-long layoff for most groups has put a huge strain on the poor and their ability to survive.

Plans for our trip to Honduras are progressing nicely. Actually, our trip is flying along at Mach 3! Things are happening so quickly that I am watching it all like Hans Solo watched the stars blur by when his Millennium Falcon jumped into hyper drive! The interest in this year's trip is like nothing I have ever seen. Since the initial information went out back in October, I have had more e-mails, phone calls, and Facebook messages than I have ever had for a trip. So, in case you haven't heard, the trip is officially full and a waiting list has been started. This is the first time I have ever had to cap the trip because of size limits, but even the Mission House (Villa Gracia) has limits to its capacity!

The team, including the waiting list, is now over 180. In order to run a mega team (any team reaching triple digits) we are going to take a new approach. Instead of running our team as 1 mega team, we are going to divide our team into two separate teams, the Alpha and Omega teams. Nathan will head up the Omega team and I will be in charge of the Alpha team. The teams will be equally divided by number and talent and will be run as 2 distinct teams. We will set up meal schedules for breakfast and dinner and will have separate morning devotionals. The evenings after dinner will allow the full team to mix and visit, along with time in the dorms. We will have a combined devo each night as well. I can only imagine what the singing will be like at night!!! By operating as 2 separate teams we will hopefully avoid downtime and will be able to keep everyone busy each day. But, this is going to take a lot of coordination and a lot of help with project leaders, construction crew chiefs, and multiple segundos.

The bulk of our work will be done in the Tegucigalpa area from the time of our arrival until the morning of July 7th. At that time we will divide into 2 groups. 1 team will travel to Choluteca to work in Timeteo's home village and the other will be going to a new area, Catacamas, where we will be doing work with a local congregation there. I will give you details on both of these works later as the details are hammered out. Both teams will return to Tegucigalpa the evening of the 9th and will spend the last couple of days there at a local hotel until we depart on the 11th. Tom Beach's team from South Carolina will arrive on the 9th and we are hoping to have a combined devo with them before we leave.

I will be posting another blog soon that will discuss supply collections and shipping plans for this summer. We have a lot of new groups coming on board this year and I will introduce them to you as well. I am so excited about all the things that are happening right now and I can assure you that God has great things in store for us this year! I hope you are excited and are praying about the trip. It will be here before you know it and this year is going to fly by... I mean, we are already in February!

This Friday is the deadline for the early bird registrations and deposits. After February 6th, applications need to have a $250.00 deposit check included (instead of the early bird $150 deposit). All checks need to be made payable to the Western Hills Church of Christ / Torch Missions 2010 with your name on the memo line. Trip balances are due the 1st week of June. Let me know if you have any questions, my email is reeves.tl@gmail.com . RUE2B?

Esta usted listo para ser utilizado en una manera poderosa este verano?

Terry

Honduras on my mind

I know, its been a while. So, 15 days into 2010, may I say "Happy New Year." 2 weeks into the new year and I am just now sitting down to write, sad to say the least. So, I am guessing that a new year's resolution of blogging more regularly would be considered broken at this point... They say confession is good for your soul so getting that off of my chest sure makes me feel better now. This doesn't rank anywhere near Mark McGwire's confession of using steroids while playing baseball (anyone surprised by that.......) but admitting it is half the battle.

As to why I haven't written, lets just say I have been out and about lately. Since Freed-Hardeman has been on Christmas break Margaret and I have used the time to do some traveling. We went to Birmingham to see Nathan and Karen and talked about Honduras. We went to Sarasota, Florida and saw several old and dear friends and talked about Honduras. We also went to Orlando and saw Joe and Judy Roberts, enjoyed a day at Disney (Animal Kingdom!) and talked about Honduras. We went to Montgomery and saw Brett and Judy Mitchell and their new addition, Reid (what a cutie!) and talked about Honduras. We went to Mitchell, Indiana, visited with Allen Burris and I spoke Saturday night at a fund raiser dinner and preached Sunday morning, about Honduras. We stopped in Mayfield, Kentucky had dinner with Rick and Gayna Taylor and discussed Honduras. And this week I will be meeting with Ernie and Denise Ulmer (from North Carolina) and Tara and Jerry Yale about Honduras.

In case you missed the obvious, my attention on Honduras has begun and I am focused and on a mission. There is a lot to do and time is ticking. It might only be the middle of January to most of you, but for me it is well into the year as far as planning goes. I have accomplished a few things but there is so much more that will have to be done and done soon. But the challenges excite me as I get ready for the 2010 trip. I do not get weary preparing for the trips. It is always exciting and I am always encouraged about going to Honduras to work.

Leaving early last summer in the middle of our trip just killed me. It knocked the wind out of my sails and I came home hurting. And it was a deep hurt. For me, I felt like I had let the team down. Even though the events of last summer was totally out of my hands, I felt as if I had failed. I failed the team, the people of Honduras, everyone. And while I had to take time to process through it, I have come out on the other side more determined than ever to ride to the occasion and lead this year's team with a new passion for the work. There is much to do and it is time to get to it.

Last weekend I was was in southern Indiana. the congregation at Mitchell, who went with us the first time last summer (wow, what a way to start a mission's program by fleeing the country!) and amazingly enough, are planning to go back. This congregation is on fire. In October they sent a small team down to finish the water purification systems that we started. Determination and grit was on the agenda as they encountered problems after problem as they installed the systems. but the got it done and then came back with the famous line from Oliver, "Please sir, may I have some more?" In about a week another small team will go down to build 5 houses. This does not count the ones that were built in October. Nor does it count the ones they plan on building on the July trip.

Allen Burris, the preacher at Mitchell, secured an entire 40' container of genetically enhanced corn (much higher nutritionally than standard corn), about 50,000 pounds, with help from IRC. While I was there we secured another load of corn (about 25,000-30,000 pounds) that we will ship down for the July trip. with a donation of this importance, I decided to commit our efforts in raising enough money to pay for our own container this summer. We have been doing this for the past several years and chose a different route last year by carrying supplies in the black duffel bags. this year, with such a huge donation of supplies, it only makes sense to ship a container. this will give us the ability to sent additional food, clothing, shoes, toys, medical supplies, and hardware to Honduras for the trip.

For the next 2 1/2 months all of our groups will begin focusing on the collection of specific supplies that we will be needing this summer. I will be posting a collection list on the blog and will be sending out lists to individuals, groups, and congregations that will be begin the collection process. I will give updates on our progress as we prepare for the shipping date which will be in late April. I want to ship early enough to make sure the container reaches port in plenty of time to be trucked from Porta Cortez to Tegucigalpa where it will clear customs and be delivered at the Torch / IRC warehouse in town.

The due dates for the applications and deposits will be here soon. Early bird applications and deposits ($150.00) is due on January 31. After that date the deposit goes to $250.00. Applications will be accepted until the trip fills up. Team estimates puts the estimated total at 80%. Please do not delay, this year's trip will fill up. Our cap this year will determined after I make my reservations at the Mission House and find out the total I can house this year. I hope to know that within the next week or so.

As I close I ask that you please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. The country has been absolutely ravaged by the horrible events of the past few days. As reports come out of Haiti the news is not good. Literally millions of people are suffering at this time. We had special prayers tonight at Estis in the youth wing as teens dealt with the loss of friends they had just met and worked with less than 24 hours ago. the Estis group left literally hours before the earthquake struck. Please help any way that you can.

May you live within the shadow of the cross.

Terry

Feliz Navidad!

Every Sunday Christians all around the world unite in spirit as they gather to worship God. Every Sunday we also unite in the common purpose of the partaking of the Lord's Supper to remember the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And Friday Christians around the world we unite to remember the birth of the King of kings. It will be celebrated in many different ways in many different cultures.

Jesus entered the world in a very unique, humble way. Even though the Old Testament contained prophecies telling of the coming of the Messiah, and even told where he was going to be born, the people did not see it. They were looking for a birth worthy of royalty. Pomp and circumstance, trumpets and tambourines. Feasts and celebrations. Only a few shepherds and the wise men from the east were there to witness the greatest birth that has ever taken place. The King of the highest nobility was born in a small, obscure town, in a stable. Yet that is the way it was. that was the way it was supposed to be. For at just the right time, Jesus was born.

As you celebrate the occasion, may you have a very merry Christmas. May if be filled with hope and wonder and love and grace. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and that you will be with family and friends and that you will be able to enjoy all the good things life has to offer. and I hope that you are grateful and thankful for what you have. We are truly blessed.

And while we are at it, happy new year!!! 2009 is about to depart and 2010 is about to begin. What promises, challenges, and dreams will it hold? May 2010 be the best ever. In times of uncertainty, stress, and anxiety, may we put our hope and faith in the Lord and allow Him to lead us. "For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:5

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!

Viva Pepe!

The winter winds and weather have blown in from the west in our sleepy little town of Henderson. Although we do not have snow the cold weather is here and looks like it will be here for a while. Of course I am writing this as a person who lived in Florida for 15 years so my definition of cold will always be viewed as laughable from most of you out there. When the temperature drops below 55 degrees it is pretty much freezing in my book. So, if you live in areas where it really gets cold (my Dad told me it was -3 today in Colorado where he lives) bear with me. It is all relative....

Sorry for such a long time for writing any entries. I would bore you to tears will the numerous excuses I have (both real and imaginary) but it would only help my conscience. Let's just say I have been busy, just like you have... and leave it at that. This time of the year is busy for everyone with jobs, school, decorating, shopping, and traveling. Not to mention the closing out of the year and preparations for a new one.

I love this time of the year. From November 1 through the first week of January is wonderful. Receiving and mailing Christmas cards, shopping (I am one of the few guys out there that loves to shop), eating (why does turkey taste so good during this time of the year?), and seeing family and friends. Thanksgiving Day is probably my favorite day of the year. I love the concept, created by the first Pilgrims when they arrived here in America, and the native Americans who helped them survive. Giving thanks for what we have. I just wish we, as Americans, would focus on that more. Going all out on the huge Thanksgiving meal is wonderful (refer back to my comment about turkeys) and watching football games and dog shows is great. But reflecting on what we have as individuals and as a country is so much more important.

We live in a country that has been so blessed by God. We have been blessed with abundant natural resources, wealth, and prosperity, to which no other country can compare. We live on the cutting edge of technology and have more at our fingertips than anyone else in the world. We live in comfortable houses with A/C and heat. We drive nice cars. We wear nice clothes. We own nice stuff. And yet we always want more. We always feel we have to have the next great thing that comes along. We have become so selfish that we cannot see the blessings that we find ourselves in day to day. but for those of us that have been to Honduras, or place like it, we do understand. And it is important for us to keep that in mind. If it were not by the grace of God we could be living in a place like that as well, living day to day and wondering where our next meal will come from. And that makes us aware of our blessings and helps us appreciate them all the more!

Just a couple of weeks ago we watched the elections unfold in Honduras. Sunday, November 29th was a day on my radar screen for weeks. Rumors and threats swirled as the day approached. Ex president Mel Zelaya, holed up in the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, sent out messages begging people not to vote to show support for him. However, 65% of the voters turned out to show they were ready for a new president. Profiro (Pepe) Lobo, a wealthy rancher from the conservative party, won in a landslide. Pepe carried well over 60% of the vote and the liberal party has been dethroned. The Hondurans have spoken and the transfer of power will transfer at the end of January. It is a good thing to have the conservative party in power once again.

Also, the Honduran Congress voted overwhelmingly (114-11) to not reinstate Zelaya for the remainder of his term. He remains in the Brazilian embassy with few options now. It is indeed interesting what the ex-president, who had inspirations of becoming a dictator like his buddy Chavez, will do now. Maybe he should read Daniel 5 and the story of the handwriting on the wall. "His days have been numbered and he has been weighed in the balance and has been found wanting. His kingdom has come to an end." If the shoe fits... wear it. Brazil and Mexico have both offered to come and take him out of the country but the government has stated he cannot leave unless he leaves as a private citizen and not as president. This has become another sticking point for Honduras who is sticking to its guns and its constitution.

The validity of the election now becomes a key issue as Honduras prepares to install its new president. The United States has announced that they will recognize the election results, which is good news for the new president. The United States is the chief ally of Honduras. Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela have stated they will not recognize the new government. So, the political turmoil is far from over. It will be interesting to see how the other countries line up in this political chess match.

However, our path has been cleared, at least a little bit, as we ponder and prepare for next summer. With the elections out of the way and the fact that little took place to mar the results, it makes the opportunities to go back this summer more stable. Tim Hines, who has spent a great deal of time meeting with various members of the Honduras government, has made great strides to insure cooperation with the government and Torch Missions and IRC. The fact that the conservative party won the election is a very good thing for us. Tim feels that we will have a much stronger relationship with the government officials that we have ever had in the past, which has bee good. In weeks to come I hope to receive more information and details concerning all of this.

I will be posting more information about the 2010 trip soon. Stay tuned as we prepare to go on yet another short term mission trip to Central America. Can you believe 2009 is about to come to an end? As we are about to user in 2010 I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. May God bless you and keep you. Feliz navidad! (you knew it was coming, right?) Now you will have the song in your head.... :-)

Terry

numb, or not to be numb, that is the question

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This week I proved to my self, once again, that I am not the man I was a few years ago. I know it is just part of the aging process, but I don’t like it one bit. And I bet most of you out there don’t either. Things you could do a few years ago can’t be done the same way today. Oh, sure, there are the freaks of nature, that, 20 years out of high school, are in better shape than they have ever been in. I am not talking about “those” people… I am talking to the normal, everyday people out there. The weekend warriors, the ones who think they “still have it.”

Now, before I get too far into this, let me explain that I didn’t do anything particularly out of the ordinary. I didn’t run 20 miles with one of the cross country guys in the dorm (like that would EVER happen), or bench press with the guy in the dorm that runs the weight gym off campus… nothing even remotely like it. Nor did I hurt myself taking a nap like some people have been known to do. Nope. I just picked up a large box incorrectly and hurt my back. Of course the box was 4 feet long, 3 feet wide, 1 foot deep, and weighed about 80 pounds.

So, that happened on Thursday. Friday I hobbled around feeling the love of the box that was still in the car where I had left it. Saturday I was able to hide the fact that I was still hurting. Sunday I was feeling better (Monty Python quote) so I decided to play 18 holes of golf. And surprisingly enough, I came back with my back hurting even more! Imagine that. You can go back to my initial statement if you want to…

Enter Margaret, stage left. Anyone who knows Margaret knows that sarcasm runs through her veins (evil blood as Tyler Steffy would say) and trying to get sympathy from her can at times be hard to do. Tonight however, was my lucky day. Not only did she not tell me how stupid I was for playing golf when I knew my back was hurt, she didn’t even tell me to “suck it up.” She instead gave me drugs. You know, Advil, that kind of stuff. And a little bitty pill that she called a muscle relaxer.

Oh my, in 20 minutes my back was pain free. It was amazing. I was walking around and bending and going about my business like nothing had ever happened. Fantastic. Incredible. Unbelievable. I loved it. We watched the Sunday night football game and everything was good. Everything was good for about 3 ½ hours. That was about the time the effects of the pill began to wear off. That is when I realized my back was still hurt. Basically, my body had been deceived. The medicine blocked the pain for a while but the problem (pulled muscle) was still there and was still very much hurt.

I am sure by now you are wondering why in the world I am talking about all of this. I really do have a point. Anyone who knows me knows that I tell elaborate stories to emphasize a point. And this one is no different. I will now take you to the Sunday morning assembly at church. Dr. Edwards, the pulpit preacher, delivered a politically incorrect sermon. It was quite good and at times I just wanted to stand up and shout “amen!” (But my back was hurting and I am not sure how well I would have jumped up… and I am not usually prone to doing stuff like that anyway so the word “awkward” comes to mind).

He was talking about Ephesians 6 and putting on the whole armor of God. Pretty standard stuff. But what was interesting was some of the stuff he pointed out that we should be standing up to fight against. Things (and organizations) that political correctness would deem inappropriate today. Things that a tolerant society would just leave alone so that there wouldn’t be any waves. Things that go against the very fabric of Christianity. And he named names too. And he simply asked the question, “Why are we not doing anything about it?” Good question.

Have we removed ourselves from the fight? Are we confused about our marching orders? Are we scared to enter the battle? Are we afraid we are going to lose? Are we afraid we are going to offend someone? Are we concerned about our image or reputation? Or, do we just NOT CARE. HAVE WE BECOME NUMB? Interesting questions.

Each Sunday we pack church buildings full of people. We are dressed right and we sing right and we pray right and we say the right things and we do the right things. We are timely and efficient. We sit through Bible classes and sermons and we hear the message of God presented to us over and over and over. And at the end of every sermon the invitation is offered and we stand and sing and might even sing all of the verses to “Just As I AM.” We have our closing prayer in which we ask God to “guide, guard, and direct us.” And we march out our beautiful sanctuaries, I mean church auditoriums, and live our lives the way we chose to live them. Numb.

Now you see, it is my observation, that there are many people that are members of our churches that are numb. Just like I was when I took that muscle relaxer. I was numb to the problem. I didn’t feel it and therefore it did not exist as far as I could tell. I did not do anything about my back because I did not feel anything for a while. And it is easy to ignore pain when you don’t feel it. And, it is easy for Christians to ignore things going on around us when we are numb to it as well.

We become numb to the profanity that is on TV today. Or the suggestive innuendos. Or the blatant sinful situations that are portrayed on TV, movies, and in magazines. We have become numb to the slang terms being used today. We have become numb to the things that are advertised on TV and in magazines. We have become numb to the harmful effects of things that re being legalized around our country. We have become to the life styles people are living all around us, even in the “Bible Belt.” We have learned to just block it out. Ignore it. Pretend as if it did not happen. After all, we do live in the age of political correctness. We should not offend anyone by addressing something that is right and wrong. After all, what standard would we use? The Bible?

We experience physical pain for a reason. Dr. Judy and Dr. Anna, physical therapists, would probably tell you that pain is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong! Even though pain hurts, it is helpful because it lets you know something is not right. Once the problem is fixed and dealt with properly, the pain goes away. Taking painkillers and muscle relaxers just masks the pain and does nothing for the problem. Our society is not going to get better all by itself. Moral issues will not fix themselves either. Why do you think Jesus said in John 15: 19-21, “If the persecuted Me they will persecute you, for they do not know the One who sent Me.” Matthew 5:10 tells us to rejoice, for they persecuted the prophets that came before you. That is why we are to put on the full armor of God, so that we can withstand the attacks that will come. The armor is not going to keep you from getting hurt, it will keep you from getting killed!

I remember the first day I played organized football. Middle school. I had played back yard football and was the Joe Montanna of my neighborhood. I was ready for the big time and I knew it. I had a cannon of an arm and the accuracy of a Patriot Missile. I remember going through line that day to get my equipment. Pads; helmet; jersey; pants; cleats; mouthpiece; etc. I put the pads in their respective places, thigh pads; knee pads; hip pads; tail bone pad; ear pads; shoulder pads, and suited up. Hmmmmm, bulky, awkward, restrictive. But cool. Very cool.

We warmed up, ran some laps, and I went to my first drill where full contact would be made. I was with the running backs and we went one on one with the linebackers. Piece of cake I thought. I faked left and went right and WHAM. Lights out. Coach Nunley was standing over me with smelling salts. I felt to see if any body parts were missing. Wow, the pain was unbelievable. And I got up and did it again. And again.. And again. When practice was over I went up to my coaches and asked them where the rest of my gear was… they obviously had forgotten to give it to me. I knew there had to be more pads because I had way too many places that were exposed!

They assured me I had everything I needed. The pads they gave me did not protect me from pain, they protected me from serious injury. It hurt to play football. But the pads did their job. And at the end of their tour of duty they were beat up and scarred. Battle scars. Reminders of the games and practices that I had gone though. I still have my helmet. I can probably tell you who we played the night I got that mark, or that scratch, or that nick. Your equipment should be beat up and worn out when you get finished with it. Otherwise, you didn’t use it! The same applies to the armor in Ephesians 6. Our spiritual armor should be beat up and worn out when we finish with it… after all, we are fighting in a war. If you don’t have beat up armor, you didn’t fight. And Jesus tells us that if we are not for Him, we are against Him. If we are not gathering we are scattering.

You are in the fight. You are on one side or the other. There is no neutral ground. You have armor that has been issued to you. It is your decision. You can fight. You can become numb. You can be captured. You can fight for Satan. Revelation 2:10: Remain faithful, even until the point of death, and I will give you a crown of life. Victory is found for those who take up their armor and fight! So, what are you going to do? Are you numb to what is going on around you? Or are you going to fight? The choice is yours and yours alone.

Have a great week. Go out and be a blessing to someone. Make a difference.

TR

Sleep is for the weak...

It’s 6:30 am. For some of you, that is no big deal and you see 6:30 am all of the time (I am thinking of friends like Joe Roberts and Tim Hines). Others, 6:30 might be a tad bit early for you (I will not mention names here to protect those from public ridicule…). Being a dorm supervisor, staying up late every night is part of the job. Going to bed at 2:00 am is now common practice for me. So, as you might be able to figure out, 6:30 am is VERY early for someone who goes to bed sometime after 2:00 am. And for me, it has been an “all nighter.”

Last night I began working on Honduras plans and I decided to launch out and do something I have been meaning to do for a long time. I am still unpacking things from the move to Freed-Hardeman. We had literally dozens and dozens of boxes that had to be unpacked and I decided that not only would I unload them, I was going to go through and sort out things that needed to be tossed or given away. No easy task… try it your self someday when you have nothing to do. I went through everything we packed up IN the house and everything that was in storage. Oh yeah, stuff that has been boxed up for years. Nearly every box had a bunch of “why did we keep this?” stuff. Downsizing has been a good thing.

So, about 1:00 this morning I got on the computer and decided to do the same thing. I literally have thousands of photos on the computer and hundreds of documents. Stuff that has been on the computer for quite a while. Since the computer has been running slower and slower recently I decided it was time to do some cleaning on the hard drive. I figure that if I remove a bunch of this stuff it will speed the computer up. So I began organizing photos into files, deleting photos that were not up to par, and down loading the photos onto flash drives. It might have taken all night but I am so glad I did it! There just might be something to this organization thing…

And, as I mentioned earlier, I have been working on the Honduras plans. We are now just about 2 weeks away from the official kick off for the 2010 trip. During thanksgiving break the Torch application, rules sheet, and Spanish release form (for those under the rip old age of 18) will be ready to send out. As always, I will be glad to send the forms to anyone by email or my postal mail, all you have to do is contact me. Paperwork and trip deposits ($150.00) can be sent to me anytime after December 1. The deadline for deposits and paperwork is March 1st but I highly recommend that you send it in as soon as possible.

As I have mentioned before, we are expecting a large team this year. We always have a strong number of returning team members and this year I am expecting several new ones too. Although it is hard to make an accurate guess now, I do believe we will have somewhere in the 100+ range. Early indications from returning groups already have the estimate well over 80. It is so exciting to watch the team grow and to know the possibilities that await our team this summer. God is so good and is so faithful to see us through as we strive to do His will. I know that this summer will be no different.

We are now 18 days away from the November 29th election in Honduras. Not only will the citizens of Honduras be electing a new president, they will also be electing local and state officials and congress. AS we all know, the situation in Honduras is still far from over but congress and the Supreme Court of Honduras has shown unbending will to follow the letter of the law as stated in their constitution. Powers from around the world are less than 3 weeks away from deciding how they will treat the outcome of the elections. According to the La Tribuna, one of the largest newspapers in Honduras, the government is expecting over 600 officials from around the world to come to Honduras to witness the election process. Honduras will certainly be under the microscope as they attempt to transfer power to the next president. Interim president Roberto Micheletti has vowed that he will do everything within his power to assure a fair and legal vote will take place.

Once the election results are posted we will know, for the most part, what will be happening in Honduras for the next several months. I am hopeful and optimistic that things will go smoothly and we will be able to make our preparations for the trip this summer. There is no doubt that dozens and dozens of other groups will be doing the same thing. Playing the waiting game is killing me and I know it is you too, but we must be prayerful and patient as we allow this to play out. Like I said earlier, God is good all of the time and He will carry us through all of this. His hand is in this event and He is in control.

Relating to this, I mentioned that a “plan B” would be in place in the off chance that we will not be able to go to Honduras. I will be taking a small scout team down to Costa Rica in March to do a survey trip. In particular, we will be traveling to the southern part of Costa Rica to meet with local preachers that work in a town called Buenos Aires. There is a new congregation located there, less than 6 months old, meeting in a city of 67,000. During the trip we will be meeting with the preacher and his family and will go to see the town and surrounding area. This region of Costa Rica is agricultural and also the home to about 42,000 native Indians. This is one of the poorest areas of Costa Rica and the possibilities of work in this area appear to be in line with what we tend to do best. This area is certainly on the short list for new mission outreach by Torch and going this spring will help begin the process of taking a team there no later than 2011.

Time to sign off for now, work calls! I hope you all have a great week and that you continue to be a blessing to those you come in contact with on a daily basis. Ministry takes place everyday in many different forms. May God work through you to make a difference today.

TR

water, pure, clean water

Water purification system at Dadasko Orphanage ......................Water purification system at Casa de Esperanza kkkkkkkkk

This past week Tim Hines traveled up to see me from Louisiana on his way to Florida. I know, Tennessee is not on the way to Florida. Tim knows that too. But, I am using his words. In reality it was two great friends getting together for a couple of days to see each other. We had time to talk about all kinds of stuff but mainly it was a pow-wow about Honduras, Torch Missions, IRC, and life in general. Since the trip was short we did not have time to solve many of the world’s problems this go around. Maybe next time. It was a great visit except for the monsoon rain that kept us from playing a round of golf at the Jack Nicolas course just outside Henderson at the Chickasaw State Park. Of course I didn’t lose a couple dozen golf balls either.

Tim and Gayle Davidson have ramped up their efforts to get supplies shipped down to Honduras during the political crisis. With the help of many, several 40’ containers are scheduled for delivery soon. Mark Connell unloaded a container that just arrived last week full of food, clothes, 5 gallon buckets, and other supplies ($686,000.00 from the Melbourne Church of Christ). A container from the Mitchell, Indiana congregation full of corn (42,000 pounds!) and supplies is in port in New York and should go down this week. Another container is in port in Virginia about to go down that is full of medical supplies ($2,100,000.00). Nearly 3.5 million dollars in aide in just a few weeks with more coming soon. Praise God for He is good.

In other news, our water purification system project is now complete! Steve Gilstrap, from Mitchell, Indiana, along with 4 others, went back to Honduras to complete the job we started this summer before the mass exodus from Honduras. The week long trip turned out to be quite successful with a lot of good work being done is a short amount of time. The group stayed at the Mission House and worked along side Mark Connell installing the 2 water purification systems and getting other work done as well. Steve even got to experience the thrill of driving in Honduras and the frustration of being stopped by the Honduran police. He did not go into specifics and said not to ask any questions. I will just leave it at that… (May I add, been there, done that….)

The water system at Casa de Esperanza was a great install and will serve their needs perfectly. The system went in as designed and planned and will serve the facility for years to come. The install at Dadasko was much more challenging. Because of the way their water storage system is built the water purification system had to be installed in between the 2 large holding tanks that they have on their property. Because Dadasko suffers from power outages on a regular basis the system will not be able to operate 100% as it is intended. However, there is little doubt that the water the orphanage now has is far superior to what they have been using in the past. What a blessing to know that the children now have good, clean water to drink!

Steve’s crew also built 3 houses while they were down in Honduras. They built in 3 different locations allowing the team to see 3 different parts of the city. This small group got to see what the main team did not… work in the city. Steve commented how drastically different it was working in the city as compared to working on the mountain in the La Tigra Rain forest. They also went to the city dump one day to serve food for the community that lives and works there. Hearts were broken as they say the poorest of the poor trying to survive in the harshest of environments Honduras has to offer. Steve said it truly was a life-changing trip.

Plans continue to unfold as Nathan and I plan the 2010 trip. Nate and Karen will be up here soon and we will have our first “sit down” planning session. As I hear from more and more of you it only makes me even more excited about the plans for this summer. After all of these years I still get fired up and pumped about going back to Honduras to work.

3 ½ weeks away from the official kick off for the 2010 trip. Applications and trip information will be ready to be sent out the week of Thanksgiving break. I hope you are making your plans, marking your calendars, and have asked off of work. Can you believe it is already November? Take care and I will write again soon. Take courage my friends, God is in control. Dios te bendiga

TR

SUMMER DATES SET FOR 2010

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The World Missions Workshop is winding down at Freed-Hardeman University. Several hundred from many of the church of Christ colleges and universities came this weekend to hear some great lectures and messages about world missions. Along with the Christian Universities were groups from state schools, youth ministers, and guests. Dozens of booths were set up in the student center highlighting efforts taking place in Asia, Europe, Oceania, Central America, South America, Africa, and North America. I really enjoyed walking around and meeting people and finding out about their works. There is a lot of neat stuff going on all over the place.

I was especially glad to hear a long time and very dear friend, F.H. Gates, from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, speak. F.H. has been in Brazil for 30 years. He is very good friends with Randy Short and Danny Bratcher from Recife, the area Torch has sent teams the past 2 summers. I also spent time with Alfred Donald, another classmate of mine from Freed that is a minister in the Atlanta inner-city program. I met lots of new people and had several that singed up for an email follow up from the Torch Missions booth. I believe several new contacts have been made and the door has been open for new participants in the future.

With the workshop out of the way my next mission is to secure a booth for Winterfest and CYC, which take place in Gatlinburg in February. I also hope to be able to set up a booth at the Faulkner lectureship this spring. My hope and goal is to begin giving Torch exposure in as many venues as possible. Even though our program has been steadily growing the past 7 or 8 years, PR is important for our organization as we begin climbing towards the step up to the next level of ministry. We have certainly come a long way in the past 10 years but I feel we have yet to touch the hem of the garment of what Torch Missions is going to accomplish and achieve.

As far as my trip is concerned, the dates have now been set. After much time looking at calendars and comparing notes with several people on our team, we have decided that the best dates for our trip will be THURSDAY, JULY 1 – SUNDAY, JULY 11. Unless something drastic takes place, these dates will not be changed. You may now fill out those vacation request forms and get those dates off for the trip. We will again be staying at the Mission House for the trip and will use it as the base of our operations. We do have some day trips planned that will take us out of the city. If tentative plans work out, a team or two might even spend a couple of days away working in new locations that we thinking about working. It will indeed be an exciting trip and for nearly everyone, something new and challenging.

As you know, the political situation in Honduras is still very much a boiling pot of controversy. Even though very little has been said in the media the past several days does not mean things are not going on down in Honduras. Ex-president Mel Zelaya is still in the country and negotiations are still taking place. Agreements have not been reached and the elections are now just over 1 month away. In my opinion, the elections running on schedule is one of the most important items of the process at this time. Recognition of the results from the international community is equally important. Let us all hope and pray this will take place and the stalemate will end. If it does we will precede full speed ahead with our plans.

However, if the waters remain cloudy, and unrest and tensions continue on, I have been working on an alternate plan for our trip this summer. Research and scouting is taking place right now in 2 different locations in Central America. We will have a backup plan in place and will be able to implement the plans by the end of March 2010 if needed. With this in mind, I think it would be prudent to research airline tickets to Honduras but I do not recommend that anyone purchase tickets until we have a clear indication as to where we will be working this summer. I will certainly let you know the moment a decision has been made.

I know some of you might be wondering how to go about making plans for the trip. My plan is to prepare to go to Honduras and consider it our mission point unless something changes that decision. Fund raising should be geared, as of now, to go to Honduras. Collections for supplies should be based on needs in Honduras. If we are to change plans, you will have detailed information to give out and use at that time. Safety is our number one point of emphasis on our trips, and if we feel the trip is in any kind of danger, we will change our course of action. Anyone who questions our plans to go to Honduras can certainly be given any information being discussed in this message.

Please feel free to write if you have any specific questions. I will be posting information on a regular basis from this point forward. In particular, I will be sharing information about a small Torch team (from our summer team) that has been in Honduras this past week working to install the water purification systems we began this summer. I have some exciting details to share with you early next week! The team had an amazing trip and got a LOT of work done in the few days that they were there.

I am constantly amazed by the hard work and dedication of those who work with us at Torch. I feel that I have the BEST teams, resources, and networking that anyone could ever ask for. We have loyal and dedicated team members who constantly work to make our missions program better and better. I am so blessed to be part of a mission team that loves the Lord, the people of Honduras, and the work that we do. It is truly a privilege to work with all of you. RUE2B?

Terry

growth is painful but necessary for the good of many

Baxter Institute of Biblical and Cultural Studies served as home base for Torch for nearly a decade. After the completion of the girl’s lodging under the cafeteria and the use of a few empty rooms in the married housing, Torch had room to grow. Guys could stay in the empty rooms in the men’s dorm, girls could stay in the pit of despair, and adults and married couples could stay in the married apartments. Even though the Torch team was just one team a year, the size grew consistently over the summers.

Torch began using resources in the States and soon we purchased and shipped school buses down to Honduras and gave them to Baxter. The purchase of buses allowed us to have our own transportation so that we could travel not only to new locations but to have the flexibility to travel when we wanted since we were not reliant on public transportation anymore. We could even drive up closer to worksites since public transportation buses stayed on assigned routes. We were also able to carry more gear and supplies with us. It was both convenient and practical. And the door was open to do a lot more ministry.

The ownership of buses also changed the way we did ministry. For the last part of the 1980’s and the first part of the 1990’s Torch focused and worked in and around the area of La Vega, the colony where Baxter was located. Within walking distance were several schools, a boy’s orphanage, and lots of poor people. There were a couple of congregations in the area that we assisted with and there was plenty of work to do right there on campus. But once we had our own transportation, the entire city of Tegucigalpa and the surrounding areas became mission locations for our team.

With the increased efforts came more growth. More and more people were coming on the trips and soon our team had grown to 40+. I saw the need for help and could see the potential that Torch had within it. I knew that one person in particular needed to come on board and I began a relentless effort to get him on the trip. Tim Hines. He was one of my best friends and I met him while living in Miami. Tim grew up in Costa Rica and was fluent in Spanish. He was a youth minister in Florida and ran one of the most active groups around. Tim and I have been described as “twins from different mothers.” Those that know us know it is true. We are very much alike and by knowing myself I knew Tim. And visa versa.

Tim’s calendar was packed and it took me a couple of years of “not taking no for an answer” before he finally caved in. He agreed to go ONE TIME so that I would get off of his back. I agreed because I knew something he did not know. I knew Tim well enough to know that he would fall in love with the work in Honduras. I knew it would only take one trip to “sell” him on the trip. And I knew that Tim, like me, would see the potential and would work hard to get Torch to step up to the next level. Tim came on a trip, fell in love with the work, and the rest is history. Two mavericks took the ball and ran with it.

As we began traveling about the city we found numerous squatter villages that we began working and ministering within. The need was great in Mateo; El Mogote; San Miguel; Via Veija; Union y Fuerza; Nuevo Oriental; Mololoa; Israel; Santa Ana; Valle de Angeles; Dadasko; Los Pinos; Tamara; and others. With help from Baxter and assistance from stateside congregations, local congregations were established. Work funds were stretched and challenged as we built church buildings in the areas for the local congregations to meet and to serve as staging areas for outreach and humanitarian efforts. The team began to grow at an amazing rate. Mark Connell, from Birmingham, joined the team and suddenly we faced the fact that the team had grown too large. Baxter was at the breaking point as far as housing and the team was not able to work at its full potential because of resourcing limitations. The team was going to have to divide into multiple teams to continue.

Steve Davidson took a team and continued on. Mark Connell took a team and soon brought Larry Sawyer on Board. Tim and I remained together and took the other team. The teams took separate weeks and went to work. Since Mark was from Birmingham, Larry was from Louisville, KY, Steve and I were from Nashville, and Tim was from Sarasota, FL, recruiting was easy since we were not drawing from other’s “territories.” The teams flourished and grew with amazing zeal for the next few years. Soon Tim and I had to split as well because our team again grew too large. Other teams followed when Gayle Davidson and Marc Tindall split away to form their teams. Tom Beach split away from my team about 3 years ago. Growth is painful (none of us wanted to part ways with good friends) but necessary for the good of the many.

IRC (Inner Restoration Corporation) was established. IRC, a 501-C organization, was established as a non-religious organization to apply and secure funds and grants that is not possible to receive as a faith based group like torch. Others, such as Keith Boyer and Carry Hadley (Tampa and Orlando), Jennifer Arnold, Randy and Melissa Kluge, and Jen Wright established works, which, by choice, ran independently from the Torch name. During this time the Manna Project (Jen Arnold and the Kluges), Casa de Esperanza Children’s home, and Mi Esperanza women’s ministry began. Networking with Jorge and Rosa at the Dadasko Orphanage and Greg Vaughn at the Good Shepard Children’s Home began. Soon ministry hubs were throughout the city and outlying areas of Tegucigalpa and beyond. Ministry opportunities were without limits.

Team after team grew to the point that Baxter finally became too limited to house our groups. After years of cooperation and partnership, Torch separated from Baxter in the early 2000’s when Tim found Villa Gracia, or what we now call the Mission House. Even though it was quite a drive to get there, the space and number of beds were too good to pass up. The Mission House could house small, medium, large, and even mega teams. With the use of our own buses, torch was ready to again step up to the next level.

Today well over a dozen teams go to Honduras to work under Torch. Teams vary in size and sometimes vary in mission. Some teams focus more on evangelism while others focus more on medical brigades. Some are prolific building teams while others specialize more on visitation and service projects. Each team has its own unique “personality” and traits. And even though each team is unique in and of themselves, we are all still very much alike. We are motivated and moved by the same passion that brought us to Honduras in the first place. We use the same resources and protocols. We use the same tools and blueprints. We implement procedures and rules that are tried and true.

And we all work under the name of T.O.R.C.H. Training of Redeemed Christians Heaven-bound. Taking THE Light to a world in darkness. And each team leader, like myself, is deep into preparations for the 2010 trips. Lining up dates, contacting suppliers, researching work sites, and evaluating team skills and talents, and recruiting team members are just a few of the things being done right now. I hope to have concrete dates and tentative plans and work sites ready by the end of this month. Applications will be ready to send out by the first week of November. Deposits will be due by the end of the year. Yep, it is that time of the year again!!! RUE2B?

Terry

We've come a long way baby!

After all of the stories you have read about the life of a Torcher on campus at Baxter I am sure you have been wondering about the arrangements girls experienced “back in the day.” I can assure you it was much different from the girl’s point of view.

If you have ever been on a youth group trip, especially one of mine, you probably have experienced staying at a host family house. My groups did it all of the time and it is just the way you do things when you take a road trip to work with a church group or stay in an area where lodging is scarce or expensive. Families volunteer to host one or more in their house during a trip and provide beds, meals, and anything else needed during that time. Its easy, fun, and you never know what to expect.

So, the same principle was used in the early days of Torch. Steve Davidson, one of the co-founders of Torch, the youth minister at the Vultee Church of Christ in Nashville, was certainly familiar with housing arrangements during youth trips and Miguel Agular knew families in Tegucigalpa who were more than willing to be hosts. 2+2= 4, right? Well, yes and no. Yes in the fact that this idea would work, no in the fact that we did not know how well it would work. It didn’t take very long to find out.

Since the guys were staying at Baxter we did not have to worry about anything beyond the perimeter walls of the campus. The walls not only established the property boundary of Baxter but also served as a protection. Baxter also had security guards on duty 24/7. We were not allowed to leave at night, unless we were walking down the street to the local pulperia, in a large group. This was all done for safety, even though it was no more dangerous than it is today.

Girls, on the other hand, had to leave the property in the evenings after our work was done and go to host family homes. Most families lived within walking distance of campus. However, the distances were at times farther than you might expect. And since the girls had to walk home on the same sidewalks that they guys were not allowed to walk on except in large groups, it presented a problem. We certainly could not allow our girls to walk home alone. So, in the evenings, they were escorted home by a large number of guys. The guys didn’t mind much, especially since they could stop at the store and buy a cold drink or a bag of chips on the way back to campus.

However, the nighttime walk was only the beginning of a system of flaws and errors that we had going for us. Some host families could only keep 1, maybe 2 girls. Others could keep 4 or 5. So rooming assignments were challenging. Some families could speak English while most could not. Some of the girls could speak Spanish while most could not. Some host families had large houses with several bedrooms and extra beds while most did not. Some families were relatively wealthy while others were not. Some had running water, hot water, and even maids. Most did not. In other words, there was a huge variance of living conditions the girls were experiencing.

Some girls started their days with a hot, delicious breakfast and fresh squeezed orange juice after taking a nice hot shower. Others started their mornings with cold cereal and warm milk after taking a cold shower. Some girls slept on thick, fluffy mattresses and pillows while others slept on a thin foam pad on an old bed frame. Some girls had their own bedroom while others had to share a bedroom with the host families’ children. Some came home each day to find their clothes washed and folded on their neatly made beds. Others had to wash their own clothes on scrub boards in the back yard. Some host families had cute puppies as pets while one family had a pet pig! Not just a pig, but also a very large one that loved sleeping under the bed in the guest room!!! As you could see, the living conditions varied widely.

Now, add to the fact that the girls came to Baxter every morning to share in their experiences they were having with their host family. We had girls who were getting little to no sleep in their houses because of the roosters and dogs and pigs (oh my! Sorry, you knew I was going to say it….). We had girls that were hungry because they were not getting food that they could eat. We had girls that were taking ice cold showers and wearing clothes that had been washed “the old fashioned way.” And we had girls living in the lap of luxury, so to speak. All I can say is that I am glad I was not the one who was making the housing assignments!!! Yikes! We had some unhappy campers who kept using the term, “this is not fair,” a lot. And honestly, it was not fair and something had to be done.

So, after a couple of years of this system, it was time to change the system. After all, returning Torchers knew who to request to stay with and the poor rookies were getting shafted. And, interestingly enough, a large number of the shafted first timers were not coming back on repeat trips. Something had to be done to bring about a more equal living environment for the girls and the only real choice was to get them on the Baxter campus. But how? They certainly could not stay in the men’s dorm and there was little space in the apartments built for the married students. But, after some thought and ingenuity, Tim Hines and Timeteo Estrada came up with a solution. It became known as the pit of despair.

Directly under the cafeteria was a huge bodega. It had been used as a staging area for work. Supplies, such as food, clothes, shoes, toys, etc, were brought to the bodega to be sorted and stored until distribution. This room was so large we could easily unload 2 trailers of supplies in it with room left over. Tim and Timeteo measured the room and designed a plan to build a small dormitory for the girls using about half of the bodega. Showers, sinks, and toilets were installed along one side of the bodega and a wall was built to separate the bathrooms from the living area. Then bunk beds were built, 3 beds high, to utilize the space. Once completed, the girl’s dorm could house about 45, in a not so comfortable room. No windows, no ventilation (except for fans), and no privacy.

Now, I am not sure anyone out there reading this has ever experienced living conditions like this before (unless you actually lived in the “pit”), but it is hard to describe. It’s hot. It’s dark. It’s crowded. It’s messy and unorganized. There was no place to store your stuff or put your suitcases. No place to hang wet towels or clothes. The bunk beds (made of wood) moaned and groaned at night as people toss and turned trying to get comfortable. There were plenty of challenges in the new living arrangements. The good news was everyone was now on campus and safety issues had been addressed and solved.

The bad news? When you have 30-40 in 1 room, chances were you were going to have some personality clashes. Early risers disturbing late risers. Night owls disturbing those who went to bed early. Light sleepers being kept awake by the slightest sounds. We had those who snored and those who talked in their sleep. We had girls who wanted to stay up at night to talk and visit and those who wanted some peace and quiet. Type “A” personalities clashing with each other. Neat freaks living with not so neat freaks. Wow, all I can say is that I am glad I was not a girl living down in the pit of despair!!!

But, it was fair. It was equal. It was practical. And miserable. And most importantly, it worked. We made it work. We had strong women who went into the pit to make it work as smoothly as it could be done. And we made sure everyone kept receiving a healthy dose of why we were in Honduras in the first place. After all, going out and working among the people each day always brought even the most miserable person back into reality knowing that our plight was nothing compared to those we were ministering to in Honduras.

So, now, when we unload our stuff at the Mission House and you receive your housing assignment, take a look around and see what you have around you. Hot water showers (most of the time). Clean bathrooms (most of the time). Running water. Comfortable beds (in perspective mind you…). Good food. Peace. Quiet. When you think about it, we have it made compared to the “good ol’ days.” Those of us who have been around long enough to remember know how good it is now. And believe me, we appreciate it more than those who have come on board after the fact. As they used to say back in the 70’s & 80’s, “We have come a long way baby!”

As plans for the 2010 trip continue, please continue to pray for Honduras. Pray for a quick end to the political unrest and that the right thing will be done, both for the country and its government, but for its people as well. Pray for those who are in the field (Jennifer and Josua, Mark and Lori, Jen, and Marc and Terri) who are working in the mist of the crisis. Pray for those who are securing goods and supplies to be shipped down. And pray for our plans for next summer and how God will use us. May we be willing vessels for His will. Use us as You see fit Lord. As Isaiah said long ago we say now, “Here am I send me.”

Terry