Diane tells how God can transform any moment and any place into worship!!

This is just a short story from the beginning of our trip in early March. When we were standing in the line for customs to enter Honduras, we were right behind an obvious group on a missions trip. Obvious because they all had the same shirts on! I had noticed their shirts when we were boarding but we had not spoken. I cannot recall the name of their church. Gary thinks he has a card that they gave us but we cannot find it now. That is really not the best part of the story anyway! 

As we were waiting in this very slow line, we began a conversation with two women who were part of this team. They told us where they were from and what they were going to be doing. We in turn explained what we were going to do in Honduras. They turned out to be a mom and daughter. The daughter was very enthusiastic about their mission and about ours. It was such a God moment there in that customs line! Then the daughter asked if we could pray there in the line. So we did! Well, she did! It was such a blessing to all of us. We felt so close to these women that we had never met before- drawn together as brothers and sisters in Christ on a mission for Him. It made a boring waiting line into a blessing. What a great beginning to a wonderful trip! We know that the Lord is in control of everything, even waiting in those boring customs lines!

Can you go?

Just a thought for today.  All of us are called to go.  It doesn't say therefore, some of you go and make disciples of all the nations.  It just says go.  So how do you go? For this season of my life, my "going" doesn't look the way I wish it did.  So for now, I go when I participate in those that are going.  Like with Gary and Diane.  When I pray.  When I give what I can.  Please consider joining with Gary and Diane and going with them in prayer and financial support.

Matthew 28:16-20New International Version (NIV)

The Great Commission

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Herasmo and Nora - How did these passionate people get involved in prison ministry?

I (Gary) asked both Herasmo and Nora, our Honduran support team, how they got into the prison ministry and/or how they got involved in this program.  It's good stuff  - God stuff. Here's are their stories.

Herasmo's Testimony

From the age of 14 years or earlier, Herasmo Ramirez had worked alongside his mother and father and sisters in their work in the prisons of Honduras.  Both his mother and father were the leaders of the Confraternidad Carcelaria de Honduras (Prison Fellowship) work in Honduras.  He explained that it was almost a family calling if not obligation.  

Approximately a year and a half ago, Herasmo was in a period of testing.  His mother and father had this ministry to the prisons and he participated but it was not his own. One day, when he was really not in a state of prayer, he felt or heard in his mind, Jesus asking, "When I stand before my Father and all the angels and the saints and ask why didn't you serve me, what will you say."  Herasmo said he replied, "Before you, Your Father and the angels I will answer, because Lord, You never gave me the volunteers, the tools and the direction."  

Shortly afterward, he began hearing about the possibility of the Capacitacion y Plantacion program from OMS and that Honduras might possibly be the target country for introducing the program outside of Colombia.  Herasmo feels certain that this program was a direct and specific response from God regarding that conversation and represented God challenging him to serve faithfully.

Nora's Story

Norah recalled that on her first trip into the prisons, she was very frightened - not only of the prisoners themselves, but the whole idea of prisons.  She went in with another group of volunteers and stayed in the background and tried to avoid involvement at first.  One inmate, noting her discomfort, slowly came up to her and he told her, "I can tell you are afraid to be here, but you have nothing to fear, I know that God has brought you here today and will bring you back again and again."

Nora said from that moment on, the fear was gone. She, of course, is very aware of where she is and acts appropriately, but she knows that she is serving God exactly where He wants her. She wants to be there for Him.

Good Q/A while they are in Honduras!

Mom and Dad are in Honduras as I type this and experiencing the realities of this right now.  Maybe reading this will give you some perspective on their posts.  I know it did for me.

Also please check out the link below and please be praying!
Travel warning for Honduras

Why is being an American so

mehow helpful in this situation (ministry and leadership with OMS's Train and Multiply in country)? 

Gary - Most of those we meet and work with in Honduras feel some kind of affinity with the United States. Whether it is mostly through pop culture like movies and television, the abundance of American fast food restaurants or from the abundance of missionary and humanitarian work done in Honduras, I can't tell. But apparently from the time of President John Kennedy and his visit there early in his term, there has been a strong tie.  Historically, Kennedy was working to prevent the spread of communism in Latin America following the events in Cuba. In the city of Tegucigalpa, there is even a neighborhood that is named Colonia de Kennedy.  Apparently, at the time, a great deal of American funds were put into building up our relationship with the Hondurans.

Their cable television services carry American television shows and until very recently, English was taught and spoken in the better schools to the extent that many of the young people that have completed high school are bi-Lingual in Spanish and English.  

As one might expect, since most of their impressions of the United States are based upon television, they have some misconceptions.  I believe one of the many of these is that we have a society that is fairly volatile and violent, just watch all the police and action shows on TV.  Also, they believe that even the average American is quite wealthy. Of course, it is fair to say that the average American is far better off than the average Honduran and the conclusion is valid on that basis.  On the other hand they think that Americans have a lot of disposable income and discretionary spending which of course is not always true but again in comparison to Honduras is probably more accurate than we would like to admit.

Ultimately, our mere presence adds credibility to the program and for us that is good because we are not sure what else we have to offer, we are still learning and if our following where God leads us helps accelerate the program, we are blessed to be a part of it.