Diane answers some questions about music!

For those of you who don't know - Diane has a new favorite song every five minutes so asking her these music questions was a no- brainer!

What kind of music do you hear in Honduras?

We did not hear music except in the car sometimes when we were driving to the prisons. Also, when we were staying with Herasmo and Nora they would put CDs on in their livingroom. I think they were christian music - some instrumental and some not. When we were at Luz and Romeo's house, Luz would be singing hymns when we got up in the morning. It was part of her devotional time. Their music is beautiful and mostly very upbeat.

Do they listen to American Christian music?

We met one man who was a part of our training class who listened to American Christian music. He spoke English very well so he related to the words well. We had not had a chance to get to speak with him prior to the training. But during one of the breaks, I heard him listening to an American Christian song on his phone. I told him I loved the song he was listening to (I cant remember what it was, now) and that was when I found out he spoke English! Well, that was really exciting and we became great friends after that. We drove him to his home after the training was over and we were singing songs we knew in the bus. Some English, some Spanish. He is a music teacher in the school there and also teaches English. He is married and has a one year old son. He learned English by helping American missions trips who were traveling to Honduras. His dream is to come to the United States some day. We are now friends on Facebook and the bridge to our friendship was music!

Does music play an important part in their worship services in Honduras?

We had the privilege of attending a church worship service both times we were there and it was a blessing. They are much more enthusiastic than we are in the United States. There is a lot of hand raising and many songs before the pastor speaks. We also had the privilege of attending many worship services in the prisons that we visited. There was much singing with great enthusiasm there. They really are happy about what the Lord has done for them and they are not afraid to show it! We always marvel at their enthusiasm.

HOT SEAT!!! - Gary takes a turn at some bigger questions!

Thanks to those of you who have sent questions!  We might have to do this more often!

What does the social structure look like in Honduras?  Like the “rich” and those in poverty?

Gary 

We, of course, are seeing what we are shown, but that said, we have driven through agricultural areas on the way to prisons. We have gone on prayer walks within the inner cit of Tegucigalpa and we have see a broad spectrum of the population in the prisons. 

I believe that the families we are staying with, the Ramirez- Reyes families are in the upper middle class. They live in the suburbs, in the mountains surrounded by their El Tigre National Park.  Their homes are quite similar to ours and their life style is not so different from ours.   Their kitchens are very like ours although they don't seem to have dishwashers.  Everything else is similar in the kitchens having the standard electric or gas ovens and stoves microwaves and all of the typical small appliances. 

Likewise their bathrooms are similarly equipped to our the bathrooms.  One of the big differences in Honduras and I believe all over Latin America is the water supply.  The supply is adequate in volume, but not in quality.  The caution "Don't drink the water" should be taken seriously. 

They have radios and televisions and they are routinely on in the background.  I don't think they are as attached to their TVs as we are.  There aren't a lot of children that we interact with, but Daniel the grandson is the one we do get to see and he seems to like his television, but again not to the extent that most American children do.  Daniel is bright and interacts with adults well .  I believe he is in 1st grade and attends school each day.  The similarities in their life style and ours is far more striking than the differences.

With regard to the poor, we have only experienced the poorest from a distance, driving by in the car.  In the city of Tegucigalpa, we drove many times by dumpsters where people were going through the dumpsters looking for anything of value, to eat, or something they might barter with. Because it is  a warm climate year round, the typical dress for most of the poor is for men tee shirts and usually jeans or trousers and their shoes were often flip flops or knock-off Crocs. The women generally are in tee shirts and skirts or slacks.

The homes in the inner city were varied.  Many of the structures were very old, the construction of most buildings was reinforced concrete, or brick.  The city's middle class homes were large enough and generally included multi-generational family members which was true at the Ramirez-Reyes family homes in the suburbs. 

The homes of the poor in the mountains were likewise mostly of concrete or brick.  Roofing material is mostly corrugated metal.  They have no electricity or running water and although not seen, the only possible type of sanitary facilities would have been out houses.

Some statistics on poverty in Hoduras

Social indicators

Population, total (2010)	7,600,524.0
Population growth (annual %) (2010)	2.0
Population density (people per sq. km) (2010)	67.9
Rural population (2010)	3,891,468.3
Rural population density (rural population per sq. km of arable land)	0.0
Rural population (% of total population) (2010)	51.2
Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people) (2009)	27.1
Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) (2009)	4.9
Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) (2010)	20.3
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000) (2010)	24.0
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (2009)	72.5
Labor force, total (2009)	2,795,831.1
Labor force, female (% of total labor force) (2009)	33.9

Poverty indicators

Number of rural poor (million, approximate) (2010)	2,545,020.3
Poverty headcount ratio at rural poverty line (% of rural population) (2010)	65.4
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) (2010)	60.0
Income share held by lowest 20% (2007)	2.0

Education

School enrollment, primary (% gross) (2010)	115.7
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) (2007)	83.6

Health

Health expenditure, total (% of GDP) (2009)	6.0
Physicians (per 1,000 people)	..
Improved water source, rural (% of rural population with access) (2008)	77.0
Improved sanitation facilities, rural (% of rural population with access) (2008)	62.0
Prevalence of HIV, total (% of population ages 15-49) (2009)	0.8

Agriculture and Food

Food imports (% of merchandise imports) (2009)	18.8
Food production index (1999-2001 = 100) (2009)	145.0
Crop production index (1999-2001 = 100) (2009)	153.0
Cereal yield (kg per hectare) (2009)	1,751.6
Fertilizer consumption (100 grams per hectare of arable land) (2008)	107.7

Environment

Land area (sq. km) (2010)	111,890.0
Forest area (% of land area) (2010)	46.4
Arable land (% of land area) (2009)	9.1
Irrigated land (% of cropland)	0.0

Economic Indicators

GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$) (2010)	1,870.0
GDP (current US$) (2010)	15,400,319,554.0
GDP per capita growth (annual %) (2010)	0.7
Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) (2010)	4.7
Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) (2010)	12.5
Industry, value added (% of GDP) (2010)	26.5
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) (2010)	18.4
Services, etc., value added (% of GDP) (2010)	60.9
General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP) (2010)	18.0
Household final consumption expenditure, etc. (% of GDP) (2010)	79.8
Gross domestic savings (% of GDP) (2010)	2.2

Trade

Merchandise exports (current US$) (2010)	5,741,923,698.0
Merchandise imports (current US$) (2010)	8,549,547,323.0
Balance of merchandise trade (US$ million) (2010)	-2,807,623,625.0
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) (2010)	797,390,628.3

Government finance

Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) (2009)	21.0
Expense (% of GDP) (2009)	24.3
Present value of debt (% of GNI) (2010)	14.0
Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and income) (2010)	7.6
Official development assistance and official aid (current US$) (2009)	457,100,000.0
Deposit interest rate (%) (2010)	9.8
Lending interest rate (%) (2010)	18.9
External debt, total (DOD, current US$) (2010)	4,167,957,000.0

Technology and infrastructure

Mobile phone subscribers	0.0
Fixed line and mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people)	0.0
Personal computers (per 100 people)	0.0
Internet users (per 100 people) (2010)	11.1

Source(s)

Source: World Bank Indicators

Another HOT SEAT WITH GARY AND DIANE! - PS this is my favorite one yet!!

   What word/phrase/ concept has been the hardest for you to “get” in your new Spanish language training?  

      DIANE - 

Spanish in general has been my greatest struggle. When we are there I realize how much better it would be if I could speak and understand, but the words just do not stick in my head. I am plugging on with my Pimsler discs and praying that some of it will stick. Sometimes I think maybe I am just supposed to hug everyone! I can do that really well. I guess one really hard thing for me is the word order. In an adjective modifying a noun. It is reversed of what is is in English. The adjective is after the noun instead of before. But really that is just a small part of my difficulty. I am just trusting the Lord that He will help me with this. 

GARY - 

I am continuing to struggle with the tenses of the verbs.  I find that I am really speaking like Tonto did in the old Lone Ranger TV series.  "I go yesterday to the church."  or "Tomorrow, I write a letter, yes?" Always speaking in the present tense. It is simply that we all speak in the varying tenses in English without even thinking of it. But despite these shortcomings, I have found that with each visit I am able to communicate a little more effectively and hopefully more fluently.  I also remember that in Spanish, Tonto means "stupid" which doesn't give me much comfort.

WEEK TWO - GARY AND DIANE ON THE HOT SEAT

2.    

  What was your biggest surprise in traveling to Central and South America?

DIANE

The biggest surprise for me is how wonderful and welcoming the Latin American people are to us. They are understanding of our language problems, open to the Gospel message and seem to be very glad we are there. This amazes me. God has certainly given us a heart for the Latin American people, but they are very easy to love. This is true from the people in the prisons to the many people we meet who are associated with the ministry. And it is especially true of the Ramirez-Reyes family who we stay with when we are there. They have truly adopted us into their family and treat us as one of their own. They are wonderful Godly believers and we feel very blessed to know them.

GARY

I don't think there were any really big surprises.  The people we have encountered there, both strangers and those who are becoming our friends have show a great deal of love and encouragement to us.  I guess one surprise is something that I was warned would take some getting used to, that is "Latin Time."  I tend to be "on time" and keep to a rigid schedule, and my family can attest to that even with regard to our vacations, but that kind of rigid order just doesn't fly in Latin America.  Things just move at a slower pace and at first I was frustrated and impatient, yes, one of my other shortcomings.  But with each successive visit, I find that after a day of adjustment, I can get into the swing of things and take things as they come.  It is really a lot less stressful pace than I would normally set for myself.

QUESTION HOT SEAT WITH GARY AND DIANE

Welcome to week one of Gary and Diane on the hot seat where they will answer questions about their ministry, their lives and their relationship with God to give us a window into what God is up to!!  DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS IN!  You can submit them anytime to dmasterino@artreads.com and don't be afraid to ask a funny question!  We're certain God has a great sense of humor so why wouldn't his servants???!

QUESTION:  What is the hardest thing about traveling for OMS?

Gary
The hardest thing is actually the travel itself.  The tension of meeting the schedules and then having to spend so much time waiting is very wearying, but as we are getting used to it. We seem to be finding ways of coping.  We always have reports, replies and correspondence to take care of and we have found opportunities to share our faith with fellow travelers.

It is interesting that in addition to sharing our faith, we have met more than a few fellow missionaries heading into Latin America as well.  It may be that we are just traveling to an area where there is a lot of missionary activity from the US, but  I know that meeting these other people and hearing their stories provides a lot of encouragement and affirmation to us. I hope we are doing the same with them when they hear our story and understand our mission focus.

Diane

I think the hardest thing is the packing. We have almost always driven everywhere we have traveled. Which means that I could take everything but the kitchen sink! But not so with our mission travel. There is a weight limit on our suitcases so that limits what I can take. And then, of course, there are my hair products! But I am getting better with each trip and learning what I will need to pack. One really good thing is the weather is pretty much the same all the time so I know what weight of clothing to pack. All summer stuff with maybe a light jacket for mornings. It gets to 60 at night and maybe 80 in the daytime all year round. I guess in the summer it gets hotter. They advised us not to come then!

The second harderst thing is the actual flying. While I am not afraid, it is not really fun. A necessary evil. But on the plus side, we do get to share our story with many different people in the airports and on planes. That makes it fun.

ASK GARY AND DIANE!

We would like to start more of a dialogue with all of our friends and family about our mission!  We have been able to visit with some of you or exchange emails or Facebook messages, but that's not enough.  We want to hear more from you!  What better way to do that than by asking YOU what questions you have for Gary and Diane and taking a question each week and answering it on the blog!  Please submit questions to dmasterino@artreads.com and we will give it a shot!

We would also welcome comments and dialogue on the blog posts or on our Facebook page.  We want to hear from you!  It encourages us in ways you can't even imagine.  So start asking! We cannot wait!

A great way to start a Monday!

Got a few more nuggets to share from Gary.  Will you consider supporting this mission with a monthly donation?  What they are doing is working.  The love of Jesus is spreading and his children are being encouraged to reach the lost and broken.  It's as easy as clicking on the link below.

Support Gary and Diane

More from Gary:

These pictures are all taken at the prison at El Progreso, Honduras

This picture was when I was speaking to the inmates in a gathering of bible study participants at the prison.

Gary and (Herasmo translating) during their prison visit

This picture is of the Prison Office.  The gentleman in uniform is the warden.  The prisons are operated under the authority of the Honduran Army.  The lady next to the warden is one of the justices of Honduras.  She has an office in the prison and was there to greet us.

Diane and Herasmo (center right and left) worshipping 

These pictures are of the inside of the prison chapel showing the participation in the worship.  Every inmate in the chapel this day was participating in our newly started Bible Studies.

The inmates expressed their gratitude to God and to us for our participation in bringing a program that was more than just preaching and offered them an opportunity to learn the Bible and about God's Plan.

The gentlemen in the front row with his hands raised is Erasmo Ramirez (Age -72 years), the president of Cofraternidad de Carcelaria de Honduras (Prison Fellowship - Honduras)  He has been doing prison ministry in Honduras for over thirty years and he stated that for the first time ever, he is getting support, material and a workable and "working" plan to spread the Gospel inside the prisons.  He said the program is expanding rapidly in the prisons and in neighborhoods where they have taken the material.

GOD AT WORK

Following are some of the encouraging and even miraculous stories related to us during our visit.  They are clear evidence demonstrating just how powerful the love of our Savior truly is!!

1)  Liliam, one of the volunteers we have helped train in Tegucigalpa, told us about a man in her community who had an alcohol problem.  She invited him to join the Bible study that she was starting and she was surprised when he accepted and started showing up each week.  She said he was participating and was clearly studying and reading scripture through the week.  After the second week, his wife and one of his teenage daughters began attending because of the change they saw in his behavior.  The following week the man's other daughter started attending because her sister told her about it.  Now each week, the entire family is actively participating in the Bible Study.

2)  Anabella said that several weeks after she began presenting the program in the prison, she was told of an incident where several of the student inmates were together studying. An individual that was not in the study barged into the room and said that he had some kind of a problem with one of the other inmates in the class.  He had somehow managed to acquire a gun inside the prison.  He had walked into the chapel challenged the individual and walked right up to him and fired the gun into the man's chest.  The gun misfired! Apparently every man in  the group agreed this was a sign from God that the study of God's word was what had protected them.  Word of this incident had reached the street and people outside were interested in the Bible Study as a result. Someone indicated that the perpetrator was also shocked by the misfire and, while he is still in solitary confinement, he has communicated his desire to study with them when he gets released back into the general population.

3)  Erasmo related that there is a gentleman that he sees frequently - at least once a week - in a group of men that get together  The fellow is a professed atheist and is generally very negative about any theological discussions.  Erasmo has begun using the Train and Multiply Booklets and the group of men have been using them for a portion of their "get togethers."  He said that it has been interesting to see the "athiest" start by challenging what they were talking about and move to listening quietly.  Now he is asking and inquiring about the subject mater.  Erasmo said that the man is still reluctant to surrender his position as an athiest, but that he is there listening, questioning and participating in the discussions and that is a far cry from where he was just three months ago!

GOD IS AT WORK!!  We hope to share more and more stories like this with each visit!

Honduras Revisited With Gary

Our trip to Honduras this month exceeded our expectations in many ways.  

Just since the initial introduction of the train and Multiply Program, Lilliam, at the prison in El Progresso, has seen God at work through the enrollment of four plus leaders, and attendance of fifty to sixty students at the Bible Study based on the program. 

Every inmate in Room is attending the Bible Studies started at El Progreso since June 2014

Two of the leaders got before the group and expressed gratitude to the volunteer team indicating for the first time ever, they are really learning about God, His Plan and are coming to know not just more about Jesus, but really coming to know Jesus. 

Four inmates that lead Bible Studies - Hijos de Paz

They said in the past, people would come in and hold services with and for them, then they would leave and they wouldn't hear from them again. But with the Train and Multiply Program, there is repeated and supportive involvement from the volunteers with the inmates.  They are involved and genuinely committed to the program.

The growth that has already been achieved by the local Honduran team under the guidance of Herasmo Ramirez is so very encouraging.  Herasmo and the others on the team and the inmates themselves expressed their gratitude for us coming to Honduras. We told them we had done very little other than to follow where God sent us and that the achievements were the results of their own commitment to Jesus and His Great Commission.

Herasmo and his parents explained that they were grateful that we were offering continued support and the material.  They told us that after doing prison ministry for over thirty years that for the first time ever, they had a working plan on how to spread the Gospel in the prisons of Honduras.

We are so humbled by what God is doing here and are so grateful that by simply responding positively to His direction that He is achieving such encouraging results. 

Nora Reyes Ramirez and Diane praying with an inmate

The team in Honduras is excited, motivated and anxious to keep the momentum.  While the effects are intentionally focused toward the prisons, the program is also working in neighborhoods where Bible Studies are being initiated by team members.

Me talking to inmate and volunteer following service

Next post I will share some of the stories shared with us that have encouraged us greatly in the work being done in Honduras.  Stay tuned!  

Diane Reflects on Honduras

It is really hard to look back on our recent week in Honduras and summarize it. But I will give it a try!

Gary and I are so blessed to have a small part in what the Lord is doing in Honduras. When we are there, they constantly thank us. We do not feel there is anything to thank us for! We simply said yes to the Lord when He called us to go and serve Him. Then He took it from there. He knew there was going to be a spiritual awakening in Honduras, and specifically the prisons, and we are just a very small part of that taking place. 

We have made many wonderful friends in these last two trips. We look forward to our next trip in February when we can see them again. But that is just part of our joy.

The most exciting part of the trip was witnessing first hand what the Lord, through His persons of peace (the OMS program title for trainers in the Bible) has been doing in the prisons there. Many men and women are coming to saving Faith in Jesus Christ and then learning from the Bible. They are growing in their faith through studying the Word of God in the booklets provided from the program. In both prisons, there was so much excitement about their new faith. It was so gratifying to see it. These people in the prisons in Honduras feel that they have been forgotten and through this program they are finding hope in the Word of God and their new Salvation. They know that they are loved. We pray that when they are released from prison that they will go out into the world and be ambassadors for Christ there too. 

As far as we are concerned, we are getting much more than we give when we visit Honduras. We have been blessed by new Christian friendships that will last for many years. And we have been blessed to witness the mighty work that The Lord is doing in the prisons in Honduras. We pray that we will be able to serve in this way for many years to come. We thank you for your prayers and support. 

In His service,

Diane

Gary and Diane on their way to Latin America!

Honduras bound, Gary and Diane took off this morning!  Please remember to pray for their work there, the reach of their ministry, the persistence of the trainees and those that they will reach!

Preparing for Honduras

We wanted to give you a short update on our ministry as we jump back in after a bit of a summer break.  And invite your prayers as we prepare for another exciting trip.

Early Wednesday Gary and I will be making another trip to Honduras. This is the second phase of training for the Train and Multiply Program. In the time since the first training class, the volunteers have been working hard in their local prisons to start new churches inside the prison walls. The dedicated volunteers are from cities located all around the country of Honduras - Comayagua, LaPaz, Marcala and LaCeiba. The plan for this trip includes visiting some of these prisons.

This phase of training will be held on Saturday and Sunday since the volunteers must work during the week. The dates of the training are September 27 & 28. 

Please pray for safe travels for us and for Dollys Gallinda, the trainer coming from Columbia representing Prison Fellowship International. But most importantly, please pray that the Lord will be present during the training so that His name will be glorified among those who have yet to know him. Please pray for our host family, the Reyes'. They have been working in the prisons in Honduras for many years and now are honored to watch as their son Herasmo takes over leadership of this program that we are partnering in. 

We thank you for your prayers. We are so grateful that The Lord has called us to serve in this way.   Blessings,Gary and Diane.  

How it looks from the middlest...

No story about how Gary and Diane answered the call to missions would be complete without the view from the middle, or the middlest as our family referred to her birth position.  She saw a lot of facial expressions that the rest of us missed.  And more fear and heartbreak.

I remember when Dad started with Kairos.  None of us knew much about it including Mom.  Her reaction was pretty funny when she learned how many cookies she had to make.  But we had fun helping bake that first year. We heard Dad’s stories after the weekend and there were some good stories. But those stories did not touch my firsthand experience seeing transformation during the closing ceremony. Seeing all the guys there and how important my Dad had become to them and them to him was overwhelming.  Dad was looking for them, standing up and craning his neck and they were doing the same as they got settled in this big room.  And then at the end, seeing the love and respect with these men was really moving.  He told us stories of passing out cookies to the cell blocks and them chanting his name. They developed lasting relationships. The same thing happened to Mom when she spent the weekend in the kitchen for Kairos. 

Then the two of them started talking about missions work after retirement.  I have to say that I was leery about their plans out of selfishness.  I wanted them to be around and we saw them so often it would leave such a hole. I remember the weekend before they found out where OMS would send them.  Dad showed me a video of Columbia and the prison and how God was working there. I just got tears in my eyes because I could so clearly see at that moment the providence of God and how he had been working all these thing together. I said, “Dad I know you are going to Columbia.” 

God worked on the selfishness in me too. In January as I was going through cancer treatment, against all odds, God enabled Mom and Dad to be here for my surgery. They left for Costa Rica for language school a few days after. Somehow we all were ok talking on Skype and messaging on Facebook. 

Sometimes we can't see from our perspective what is going on but when we look back God does amazing work.  He is continuing to do that for Mom and Dad and all of us. 

Yes! We're awake! And we're BACK!

Happy end of summer to all of you!

We've been relatively quiet for the last month and a half since my dad's return from Columbia.  Diane and Gary have been enjoying family gatherings and picnics and the national parks of this amazing country, as well as getting accustomed to this long term thing called retirement. And as their blog coordinator, things have finally calmed down for me enough to get back to prodding them to give me material to update all of you!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share my perspective on their journey.  Carrie, my youngest sister, shared a little bit about the beginnings of the transformation in both my mom and dad as they began serving in the prison ministry.  I knew something was different.  All along I knew that he was changing but until I saw it in person at the first closing ceremony for KAIROS, I didn't know just how much.  When the men came into the room, my dad was craning his neck to see his guy.  When they each gave a few words to tell what the weekend had meant to them, my dad was getting choked up.  And when the ceremony was over he had zero hesitation about introducing this man to my mom and me.  Zero.  I saw my Dad being a dad to a bunch of men - many who had never known the love of an earthly father.  That was real change.  And I couldn't have been more proud of him.

SO, when he began telling us that he was earnestly contacting organizations that specialized in retirement missionary service, I wasn't surprised.  Seems the softening of my dad's heart was real and had taken a deep hold.  And I had seen that same thing in the life of my husband, so I knew the deep and pervasive power that God could have on a life.  And I was practically giddy getting to watch this happen in my mom and dad.  REALLY!  Who gets to say that in their life!!!  What a privilege!

I watched them go through training that was hard for both of them.  But I have to say that since those days of watching my dad change, the most dramatic changes since then have been inside of the two of them and in their relationship to each other.   SO if any of you think God is done growing you - THINK AGAIN!

My mom never believed she was smart - which is ridiculous.  She spent over 30 years as a great dental hygienist, learning all manner of process, science and eventually information systems along the way.  So going back into the classrooms was hard for her.  And she has NEVER embraced changed very well.  But this was different.  I got to see my mom be challenged and exceed her own expectations.  And I got to see her thrive in their ministry as she connected to others with her smile and her welcoming spirit.  She is finding a stride that she didn't know she had.  And my dad?  Well, our struggles with flaws have always been painfully similar.  Dad is in his element coordinating and organizing and he connects well to others - which was made him an exceptional technical salesperson and rare in his field.  But his growth has come from ceding to God's plan and timeline and methodology.  He is learning patience and faith and trust in ways I bet he didn't think possible.  So proud of them both - because this is hard stuff.

As they have served together - whether it was in the mountains of Oaxaca or the language school in Costa Rica or in their separation during my dad's last journey to Columbia - they have grown personally together.   These two people who have known each other all of their lives but 15 measly years at their beginnings are changing every day.  They are learning to communicate better, support each other unselfishly, and love each other  more than ever.  Love is patient, love is kind, love is not easily angered.  Those are tall orders without Jesus and even taller when it comes to our closest partners who see our very worst.  But Jesus is teaching these "old dogs" new tricks.  Most of you have known Diane and Gary for a good while.  They will always be like thunder and lightening at times but something has changed and that has been that their marriage and their partnership is honoring God more than ever.

So as they prepare for their next big trip at the end of September, I am asking you to please be praying for their marriage, their health, and whether you can contribute prayerfully and/or financially to the work they are doing to spread the gospel of Jesus to all the nations.  We can't all go - but we can all send.

Missing You! - from Diane

I've been thinking during my time alone this last week with Gary being gone in Columbia. This is the first time we have been apart for this long since I retired (and even quite awhile before that!) It has been much harder than  I ever thought. When the girls were teenagers Gary traveled all the time. We didnt like it but we were used to it. But it is different now. I have just recently gotten used to spending every day with him. So when he is not here its very lonely. I thought the hardest thing about our calling would be the travel. I NEVER thought that a really hard part would be when I needed to stay home! But I will say one thing. It has made me appreciate him so much more! We can only message each other on facebook and email - thank you God for those tools! We could skype but I am not that tech savvy. But I can tell you before the next solo trip I will learn to skype!   I have decided that it is harder to stay home than it is to travel and be with him. The Lord has taught me not to take my husband for granted. We all need to learn that lesson when it comes to our families. Maybe this was necessary for me to get the mesage!

Family Support - Diane writes!!!!

Since I read Carrie's blog post I have felt motivated to write the story of how all three of our wonderful daughters have encouraged us on this journey. You will quickly see that the writing talent in this family did not come from me, but here goes.....

As Carrie referred to in her story, The Lord brought me along on this journey just slightly behind Gary. I thought prison ministry was Gary's calling and that was fine with me. But when he came home and told me we needed 120 dozen cookies for the four day event, I was NOT fine with that. I remember talking to Carrie and she said she would pray for me, that God would change my heart. And He did, but not all at once. Then Emily said, "We can do this at my house. The kids will help and my friends will come and we will get it done!" And Dena had friends from church baking cookies and she delivered them. All the while the girls were helping and praying for a change of my heart. And God answered their prayers.

Then there were posters  and place mats that we also needed for the four day events. That was also a family project. All the grand kids worked on them and even our daughters! Carrie even had her Sunday school class from Indiana do some and sent them to us in the mail. This is all just to explain the support we got from the very beginning.

Now that we are doing what God has so clearly called us to do, we are still getting the great support that we got in the beginning. Before we left for language school Emily had her breast cancer surgery. Thankfully the Lord allowed me to be there for it, but we had to leave the day she came home from the hospital. To ease my worry about who would help Emily and because they love each other, Dena and Carrie each came for many days to be there for Emily. Even though Emily would have rather had me stay home, she still encouraged me to go saying that she would be fine. Always the encourager.

When we were first trying to begin to tell our story of how God brought us to this place of serving Him, the girls all encouraged us to practice telling our story in front of all of them and their husbands. It helped us so much to share our story with them first.  Dena even had a gathering of friends at her house so we could tell them our story. And I must not forget that Dena watches our dog when we leave the country AND takes us to the airport.

So these are just a few instances ( and I am sure I missed some) of the many ways our daughters have supported us. We feel so blessed that our whole family - son-in-laws, grandchildren and everyone is praying for us and supporting us in many, many ways . We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

So how DID they get there? - Part 1

Because Gary and Diane have been telling the story of how God "maneuvered" them into ministry, we thought it might be a fun to tell you how WE, their daughters saw it all happen.  This first installment is from the youngest sister, Carrie.  Carrie and her husband Dan and their two girls, Emma and Hope, live in the great and flat state of Indiana.  Even though they live the furthest away, their consistent trips home to Ohio have afforded all of them a front row seat to what our parents have been doing.

Part One - Carrie

Imagine a 50 foot RV cruising across the country piloted by two retirees. Familiar maybe. Carving out an adventure side by side as they’d lived the ‘daily grind’. That was Gary and Diane’s five year plan probably about five years before retirement.

When the RV purchase came to fruition the intials “EVG” in the license plate seemed to foretell to them that maybe God would give them a purpose (EVanGelism) in their travels. Chance roadside encounters, maybe? Yet God was beginning to prepare a whole new horizon for them. Their speculation and thereby their openness to a newly prepared dream found their way more and more into Gary and Diane’s own dreams of how retirement might look.

This began in probably the most diametrically opposed place to the “open road”. Prison outreach. Gary began working with Crossroads Ministries which gave Bible lessons to inmates and offered personal written feedback. This limited commitment expanded as Gary came to know one of his customer’s involvement in Kairos Ministries. Kairos offers inmates personal connection to the gospel as well, but it is through special intensive weekend visits centered on speaking the message of Christ’s redemption into inmates’ lives with weekly prayer meeting follow-ups.  Gary soon became involved in the training for such an event. Little did he know that this would also envelope Diane’s involvement in one element--the cookie ministry. Each of Kairos’ outside attendees is expected to bring 120 dozen cookies. “Perhaps, I've misunderstood,” Gary told Diane. But, alas, it was the expectation. What seemed overwhelming and burdensome at first--place mats, cookies with dimensions and rules, posters, prayer partners--became a ministry for Diane. Those, with whom she had usually spoken about her kids, grand kids and her dog, over the 2 years and 4 weekend visitations became familiar with the cookie ministry, which expanded to serving in the kitchen one weekend, and Gary’s Thursday prayer circle.

The truth “To whom much is given, much will be expected,” became more and more evident. Obedience showed more opportunities. A short term mission trip to Mexico revealed to Gary and Diane that they were both useful to God. Diane spent several 10-12 hour days cleaning teeth and showing God’s love through broken Spanish. “Escupo!” One of the settings was high in the mountains, but another was, by God’s providence in a prison. God does have His own bold print and italics, doesn't He?

            By this point, God had spoken into both of their lives. And, miracle of note to any of us who are blessed with marriage, they were on the same page, at the same time. They began searching for a missions organization for their post-retirement years. There weren’t many other possibilities that seemed viable until One Mission Society. It took some time for training and assignment to focus, but when it did, the same bold print and italics was evident. Gospel sharing in the context of Prison Ministry--in South and Central America. 

Training in Indiana

Hello, friends and family!  Gary here.  Just a quick update on what I was up to last week.  After only one day home from Honduras, I was back in the car and along with another Church Multiplication Facilitator (CMF) from Middlefield, OH, Roger Cruse, we were on our way to Greenwood, IN to our destination - Henryville, IN. 

Roger is the CMF for a portion of India and all of Indonesia, where he travels 2-3 times each year.  We were invited to attend one of the workshops at the VAN Symposim.  This Symposium brought together the largest and most significant of our ministry partners from around the world to discuss and share how networking together and sharing one another's experience can afford benefits to all members of the ONE MISSION SOCIETY team. 

Above:  Banner honoring the attendees from around the world Those involved were from Colombia, India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Spain, Korea, the Caribbean, Bangladesh and a few other East Asian countries as well.  

The general scope of the discussions was what kind of support services, materials, trainers and training should an organization supply to their direct or 'first wave "train and multiply" partners and how should this support be sustained and maintained with subsequent waves in order to keep the Gospel being spread, expanded and modeled in subsequent waves. 

It was an interesting and active session and led to a lot of good discussion and dialogue between both OMS people and other participating partners as well.  An interesting development is now occurring in that some of these partners are now at the point where they are sending their own missionaries out to develop new areas and new countries using the model from One Mission Society.  Our work in Honduras fits this description quite well, inasmuch as Confraternidad Carcelaria de Colombia is sending trainers to Honduras to begin the development of the Honduran Prison Ministry utilizing Train and Multiply materials and methods.

Photo left:  Prison Fellowship of Columbia Representatives- It is so encouraging to see that the Great Commission is being understood and executed throughout the nations of the earth, in the second, third and subsequent waves into an ever expanding body of Christ.

Above:  Our group photo

"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost."  Matthew 28:19

Please pardon the timeline jumping with these first posts as we get this blog up to speed!  Following is our update prior to our Honduras trip.  This will give you a pretty good idea of what our outlook on the mission is for the rest of the year.

Greetings to all our prayer partners and supporters!

Our ministry is getting into gear in a serious way right now. 

Diane and I will be facilitating and training 15 Honduran volunteers in Tegucigalpa, Honduras May 28^th-June 6.  These 15 volunteers have already been actively visiting the prisons in their country. We will go with them into these facilities and begin establishment of Train and Multiply Bible studies.  This program results in the identification of leaders and the formation of small groups and then eventually the establishment of churches within the walls of the prisons, directed and led by inmates themselves. 

Diane and I will be looking forward to utilizing our newly learned skills in Spanish assisting in instruction and building relationships with the trainees.  They will use the material and skills we provide to encourage and teach the inmates and develop long term relationships with a foundation in Christ. 

After we return to the US, we will continue to support these trainees by following up with them via Skype and e-mail, offering suggestions, checking on progress, and seeing just how God is working  through their efforts.  We look forward to sharing those stories of hope! 

We will return to Honduras in 8-12 weeks to work with them further and make several visits into each of the facilities in which they are ministering.

It is exciting to see how these trips will be driving our calendar in the next year!  As we make our way, we plan on staying in touch and taking each of you with us as much as possible.  

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or encouragement!  Your participation and prayers mean a great deal!

In Christ,
Gary

Gary and I have been asked to participate in a training event back in Colombia.  They are working throughout the nation of Colombia to take the Gospel to each and every home in the nation!  What an exciting potential for major transformation in a country once so torn by drug trade and violence! This will include to all those incarcerated in the prisons of Colombia, as well.  The plan is to train approximately 100 volunteers from across the country to go back to their “barrios” and start planting the seeds that will multiply into a revival within the nation. 

Since this trip has fallen so soon after our trip to Tegucigalpa, it will be impossible for me to accompany Gary because our support account will just about be emptied out. 

So, can I ask that you pray for increased pledges and gifts to our mission work to Latin America? 

We always appreciate your prayers but would also ask that you prayerfully consider participation as financial partners of our mission work. 

It is VERY SIMPLE to pledge your support.  And EVERY gift makes a difference to us. 

Go to this link:

http://www.onemissionsociety.org/give/TheBarefoots

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers for our effectiveness, protection and responsiveness to God’s call us to serve Him!  It means more than you know!                  

Blessings,

Diane

Herasmos' Gift

This beautiful sketch was a gift from our host's son - Herasmos.  He is a gifted artist and we are so grateful for such a beautiful reminder of this visit.  We are quickly realizing that the relationship we have begun to develop with this family is more than just a ministry partnership; God has gifted us with new friends.  We are already looking to our next visit!

Prison Ministry to Honduras May- June 2014

Hola friends!

Diane and I are just back from our recent trip to Honduras and we wanted to share some of what we experienced.  We plan on sharing some of the story of how we got to this point in the blog later on but wanted to keep you updated as our mission really begins to pick up speed!  Here are a few excerpts/ photos from our travel log.  Please comment and ask any questions you like!!  We welcome it!

Prison Ministry to Honduras

May-June 2014

May 28, 2014 - Wednesday

Our first day in Honduras - arrived about mid-day.  Met our hosts, Nora Reyes and Erasmo Ramirez and their son, Herasmo.  Nora and Erasmo are the leaders of Prison Fellowship in Honduras.  Dollys Galindo, the trainer, arrived about 6:00PM from Medellin, Colombia.   

May 29, 2014 – Thursday

Adjustment and seeing some local color. First went to the local Prison Fellowship Int'l Church.  Worked in the office and set things up for the meeting on Saturday.  Then to two local “pueblos”  or towns to see some colonial type architecture and overlooks of Tegucigalpa.

May 30, 2014 – Friday

Early departure.  Drove 4 hours to get to Mercala to visit the local “state jail” - approximately 150-200 inmates.  We were welcomed by inmates and prison officials, alike.  I gave a brief greeting and told them how much we appreciated being there and and Dollys spoke to their hearts.  Wonderful reception and fellowship with inmates and correctional officers, as well.

May 31-June 1, 2014 – Saturday and Sunday

First day of instruction for the Train & Multiply Program…15 Students, all prison volunteers and part of the Confraternidad Carcealria de Honduras, i.e. Prison Fellowship of Honduras.  Started at 8:00 AM and lasted til 5:00 PM  

Sunday we finished with a prayer walk around the neighborhood of the church.  The people were open and receptive to prayer and listening to the story of Jesus and salvation offered by Him for each of us.

June 2, 2014 – Monday

This day was for going to the Nacionales Parque and seeing one of the most famous sites in Tegucigalpa, the Cristo de el Picacho, a 75 foot statue of Jesus Christ that stands overlooking Tegucigalpa from one of the surrounding mountains.

June 3, 2014 – Tuesday

Today we spent the day getting to and visiting two prisons about 2 hours outside of Tegucigalpa.  The first was a larger central prison, the second was a smaller prison where we were told they might not even allow us in.  We were delivering contributed medicines and sanitary and personal care items to each prison.  The prisons were located in La Paz and Comayagua. 

Unfortunately, we were not permitted to take pictures inside the prison.  We not only were able to get into that second prison, we were able to conduct a church service!  And we had great reception and were invited to come back anytime we liked!  God continues to amaze us!

June 4, 2014 - Wednesday

We had a down day and took Dollys to the airport right after noon and really didn’t do much.  I think we needed it - we were kind of worn down!

June 5, 2014 - Thursday

We were whisked off by Nora’s brother and sister-in-law who had lived in the US for 20 years but spoke only broken English.  They took us to the mountains on the other side of Tegucigalpa where we saw a very real and very old Honduran town with a mission church from 1823 still in use. We had lunch with them, returned to Tegucigalpa and had tea with them at the Mall and returned to Erasmo and Nora’s home about 7:00PM.

June 6, 2013 - Friday

We got ready and went to the airport mid morning and we were in airports and on planes from 10:30AM Friday until almost 2:00AM Saturday.  We stayed the rest of the night with our daughter Dena and then drove back to Aurora, OH and got home about Noon on Saturday.