La Ceiba - Honduras!

Gary and Diane spent the early part of the month in Honduras. For the next few weeks we'll take a look at their visit and what God has been doing in their ministry. Let's dig in with Gary's travel log for their trip out of the mountains of central Honduras and to the beautiful coast!

On Tuesday morning, we departed the home of Erasmo and Nora Ramirez at 6:00AM and drove for the entire day, arriving in La Ceiba after passing through El Progresso and San Pedro Sula and along the northern coast of Honduras to the city of La Ceiba.  We arrived at approximately 6:00PM.   La Ceiba is located on the Caribbean coast.  We stayed at an old Hotel called the Art Deco Motel of La Ceiba for two nights.  In its day, it was probably a grand old hotel, but it has seen better days although it looked like someone was trying to bring it back, but the prices were right and the accommodations, although not exceptional, were okay.  We walked out on a pier, ate a late supper and went to bed exhausted!

Today, Wednesday, March 7, we departed our hotel and went to see the Prison at La Ceiba,  it was within a short walk from the hotel and in fact was right on the beach itself.  Like most of the visits this week, it was all new territory for us, and part of the program that began just four months ago when Pastor Francisco joined our team at the coaching training we gave on our last visit in November of 2017.  La Ceiba was a developing program.  There, the inside leadership has begun the Train and Multiply Program and there are approximately 25 inmates that are enrolled in the program who will graduate in approximately 6-8 weeks.  There was a great deal of enthusiasm and wonderful music before some encouragement from Herasmo, Pastor Francisco, and they even asked me to say a few words to the group.  There was probably a gathering of 45-50 men plus the six of us, in a room not much more than 15x25, we were all crowded, but we were all there to give thanks to God and to praise Jesus as we learned what it means to live for him and serve him.

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On Thursday morning March 8, we checked out of our hotel and arrived at the prison  of El Provenir just outside of La Ceiba by about 9:30AM. Unlike many of the other prisons, this was in a rural setting in the woods. We drove off the main road approximately three miles on an almost impassably rocky road, past field after field of Pineapples.  Once we knew what we were looking at, we discovered that much of this region is pineapple producing country.  

When we arrived at the prison, we were greeted by inmate leaders and were taken to the chapel.  The Chapel here was called “Christ Who Breaks the Chains Chapel” a very fitting name for those in prison.  We all had an opportunity to address the “congregation” and speak a few words of encouragement to them regarding their situation and their salvation.  This was a smaller prison, and we had only forty or fifty people in the meeting, but they were enthusiastic and every one of them is enrolled in the sequence training which includes The Prisoner’s Journey (in Spanish is La Peregrinacion de los Prisoneres, or LPJ)  This Prison Fellowship program brings unbelieving prisoners into the church or chapel and lasts approximately 6-8 weeks after which, they are invited to continue with the OMS program, Train & Multiply.  The T&M Program takes new believers from their expression of faith to a growing, following and serving relationship with Jesus.  

After an additional drive of approximately three hours, we checked in at our hotel and went to the prison of Tela.

Gary Shares Prison Ministry Outlook for 2018

Each year in our family, we pick a WORD as a topic or issue on which to work in the coming year.  My areas in need of work seem to be boundless, but this year I selected the words Focus/Prioritize.  It is so easy to get distracted by many worthwhile projects and events and fail to concentrate on where God seems to be leading you 

As I look ahead for the next year, our focus needs to be on our Honduran partners and their work in the prisons in that nation.  In the past years, they have been our focus and their work there is reaping a great harvest in the prisons in that country.

They have even been sharing the same discipleship material in the neighborhoods in Tegucigalpa and they are seeing satellite study groups starting up and entire families are being involved in sharing the good new of Jesus Christ with their neighborhoods and places of employment.

Our focus however remains on the prisons which have been part and parcel of what I have been doing now for seven years or more, starting here in the United States. God has certainly taken us on a journey - our mission work starting with a trip to Mexico in 2012 and including in that trip, (what else??) a visit to the prisons in Mexico!

It is interesting that now, almost six years later, that same trip is leading us to return to those beginnings.  The pastors and missionaries we worked with on that trip are now expressing interest in taking the gospel into that same prison and others and have indicated their interest in the Train & Multiply program that has been developed so successfully in Honduras by the faithful volunteers there.

God is good and His plan always surprises and amazes me.  He can take people and experiences of the past and bring them all together to set new directions or loop back around to include past experiences to set new paths in continued service to him.

Diane and I feel so very blessed to have the privilege to serve in what ever manner we might, wherever He chooses.  So whether it is now to include Mexico, or some other location, so long as we are of sound mind and body, we are excited to do what we can.  

We continue to thank you all for your prayer and financial support.  Without it, we could not serve with the frequency that we do.  

                                                                                            

GOD BLESS YOUR 2018!

GARY AND DIANE

Less like a Mission, More Like Family

Well, a new year is upon us. We are now looking forward to another visit with our ministry partners in Honduras. They really are more than ministry partners. They are our family! If someone would have tried to explain what our relationship with them would be before we met them we would have never understood. That first trip we were very apprehensive. We had never met them at all. No pictures! Only names! In fact, we worried needlessly about what we would do about a flight delay or cancellation. How would we let them know? But as He has with every aspect of this ministry, The Lord has taken care of us. We immediately were accepted into this wonderful serving family and made to feel very welcome. We are blessed to know many in their extended family also. So you can see why we are eager to return to visit them. It is a wonderful renewal of our friendship as well as the additional blessing of seeing the fruits of their labors in the prisons.

We are looking forward to visiting new areas of Honduras where new programs in the prisons have been growing. On our last visit we met a new volunteer pastor who will be working in these new prisons in the north of Honduras by the Caribbean Sea. The Lord provided this man in answer to our prayers for more volunteers to cover areas of Honduras that are too far away for our country coordinators to travel to on a weekly basis. As I said earlier, He has provided all we have needed for this ministry to reach the prisons of Honduras.

When we were in Honduras last, we had a three day seminar for all the volunteers on coaching. This would be helpful for them in working with their leaders in the various groups in the prisons. One thing we are praying about is that the finances would be available in the future for a retreat for the volunteers. They would gain such encouragement from each other by just getting together. They are spread out over the whole country and do not see each other regularly. We know and have faith that The Lord will provide in this area also. He has been so faithful in providing what is needed in the past.

When people ask us how long we will continue to serve in the prisons of Honduras, Gary and I say, “As long as the Lord allows!” As long as we are blessed with our health and ability to travel, we count it as a privilege to be a part of the Lord’ s ministry in the prisons of Honduras.

Thank you for continuing to pray with us,

Diane

Reflections

Before Gary and Diane ramp up for their next trip in early March, we thought we would ask them to share some reflections on a number of things. Diane starts us off this week.

I was just thinking back over our time in prison ministry. From the beginning of His calling us, I never had any sort of fear of going into any of the prisons. It is really amazing, because I am not a brave person. Also I am not a risk taker at all. From that very first prison experience in Ohio, to Mexico and Honduras, I was never afraid. That credit could only be given to the Lord and the calling that He was putting in my heart for those in prisoners. I recall that during our mission trip to Mexico we went to a prison there. At the time I did not think much about it, but one of the other women was very fearful as we were waiting to go past security. She was a native of Mexico, so the country was not the issue. My calling for the incarcerated started with Gary’s calling. At first, I thought it would be something that he would only be involved in. At that time he was doing written lessons that were sent in by prisoners. 

Then after some time, he started with KAIROS. That is a program where prisoners are selected to participate in a weekend in the prison. During that weekend the Gospel is presented and many are brought to saving faith. Still, I thought that this was “Gary’s Program! ” I was involved in baking the cookies that were part of the weekend. But that still did not change my heart. The change came when I witnessed first hand what this weekend meant to the men. I was privileged to attend a closing ceremony at the end of the weekend. At that time each man shared his testimony of conversion and what it meant to him. God was beginning to give me a heart for these men too. Then in the next year, I was able to work on the kitchen team for a KAIROS weekend. There was a team of us working together and also with inmate kitchen workers. That was a life changing weekend! I got to really know a few of these men and work side by side with them. Also, as the men came in to the kitchen area to eat, we would sing a song to them. It went like this: we love you and God loves you and that’s the way it’s gonna be! Just a simple song with much meaning. They knew we meant it and it meant a lot to them. On the last day, they sang the song back to us.it was so heart warming. It sounds so simple, but that was the real change in my heart. The Lord knew what experience I would need to give me a heart for prisoners. 

I am so grateful that The Lord brought me along right behind Gary. So we did the beginning of our married life together and now we are doing our retirement together serving Him!

The Last of Honduras 2017

This will be the final episode from Gary and Diane for 2017. The post today closes out the details of their trip in November. Gary, Diane and all associated with their ministry hope that you had a blessed Christmas and will continue to follow their journey in 2018. Please continue to pray for the growing body of believers in the prisons of Honduras and for Gary and Diane as the continue to follow God's call to go. Blessings for a Joyful 2018!

November 10

Today we got up very early to begin out trip to the Prison of Choluteca. It took us over 3 hours of pretty difficult travel to get here. The road was very twisty with only 2 lanes. We crossed a beautiful mountain range that was comparable to our mountains out West.They are a continuation of the of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from California and Mexico.The closer we got to Choluteca, the worse the roads got. Very bumpy with lots of potholes. This is why they asked us not to come during the rainy season. The roads are almost impassable then. Now it is hot, dry and dusty.

When we got pretty close to the prison we picked up two of the volunteer pastors that are from the Nazarene Church. They are the leaders of the program in the prison of Choluteca. There were three pastor volunteers total. One spoke a little bit of English!

It is very hot here in this city. They warned us that it would be and they were right! Herasmo comes here about every two months or so. They said that it was not as hot as usual, and we thank the Lord for that blessing! After traveling through the town, we turned on a dirt road. This road took us to the prison of Choluteca. It was very bumpy and seemed to be made with river stones. This went on for about three miles. A very slow go. At some times, we scraped the bottom of the bus on the deep ruts. As we drove back this road we saw small homes with clothes hung over wire fences to dry. Sadly, they were getting dirty with the dust we were stirring up. There were busses and trucks on this road too. It was really only a single lane, so you had to pull over to let people pass. There are always children and dogs wandering around the houses, the same everywhere here in Honduras.

When we finally got to the prison we were escorted through the gate. They took our passports and gave us a round wooden coins with the number of the box where they put our passports! Kind of like a mail box with many slots - right out in the open! But there was an armed correctional officer beside it. After we left that station, we went to a room for the pat-down. Yesterday at the prison only the men were searched. But today, there was a woman correctional officer for the women. Nora and I were the only women.

We were lead through the open yard of the prison to a small space with the typical plastic chairs and asked to sit down. Thankfully there were a few fans that made it bearable in the heat. Before we got too comfortable they asked us if we wanted to see the men who had just begun the Train and Multiply Program in another block of the prison. So we left with an escort and Herasmo as our translator. We were told that these eight men were policemen on the outside so they are kept in segregation. They are just starting T&M and are very excited to be learning and sharing the Gospel. The place they were meeting was little more than a cramped narrow hallway with just enough room for some plastic chairs! They each told us what the program meant to them. We were very touched. As always we assure them of our prayers for them. It is amazing to us how they  receive our visits but the fact that we are willing to come means so much to them.

Then we were lead back to our original meeting space. There were about 15 men who were the leaders of the Train & Multiply Program through the whole prison. This is a relatively small facility. Housing about 700 men and 30 women(who we did not see) but with only room for 300 hundred. Many have to sleep on the concrete floors. This is not unusual for a Latin American Prison.

These leaders have the ability to move throughout the other areas on certain days to spread the Gospel and do training. We were blessed to be able to hear a testimony from each man. Thankfully Herasmo translated for us. We knew what each one said and were we're so touched. Gary and I both got to speak a few words of encouragement to them and tell what a blessing they are to us. We both could feel the Spirit of the Lord touching our hearts with each testimony. After the testimonies, they gave us pop and cookies. There were a few who could speak English, so we were blessed by being able to speak to them.

It was an exhausting day. But we are so blessed and encouraged by what the Lord is doing in this prison of Choluteca. They know that The Lord has not forgotten them and neither will we. Please keep these men of God as n your prayers. In less than 6 months the Lord has made wonderful progress to a saturation with the Gospel in this prison of Choluteca.

November 11

Today we left the hotel early for our visit to the Prison of Nacaome We all traveled together in the bus we always ride in. Thankfully it has air conditioning as it very very hot there. But of course, there is no air conditioning in the prison! 

We were lead back through the prison after the usual pat-down to enter. The room we went to was very crowded. Thankfully, again there were some fans, but it was still extremely hot. I guess it could have also been that these men were on fire for the Lord! Their worship was very enthusiastic and full of love for Jesus! Perhaps that added to the heat!!

This facility was smaller than the last ones we visited. With about 300 inmates it was still very crowded. The Prisoners Journey Program has been finished there. Now it is time for the Train and Multiply to start. There are about 60 leaders signed up to begin the program. They are really full of enthusiasm as are the pastors who come to visit on a weekly basis.

We all spoke words of encouragement and blessing to them. We really look forward to seeing the progress they will be making in their walk of discipleship with the Lord.

At most of the prisons, the inmates make various items to sell. This gives them a way to earn money to give to their families. At the prison of Nacaome, they were really persistent in their selling ! They were selling purses that they crocheted. So Herasmo and family bought us some beautiful gifts for a remembrance and to share with our family.

Even though we would have liked to stay longer to hear some testimonies from the men, we had to leave. Another ministry was coming and they only permitted one ministry visit at a time. This prison also does not have any cooperation among ministries as some others do. We are praying that will change and all can work together for the good of the prisoners.

Even though it was really, really hot there, we were blessed what what is happening there. We pray for these men and the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives to help them share the Gospel.

Another Episode from November 2017

Diane shares the next two days of their journey as more are changed by Jesus in the prisons and in the neighborhoods of Honduras.

November 8 

Today we returned to the National Prison of Tamara to visit another class. It was held in their library, a very small space for the number of people. There were approximately 40 men in attendance. They were the leaders for the Train and Multiply Class. These leaders will in turn be training the next group of leaders. And this is where the multiplication come in! Herasmo spoke to them and introduced us. 

Then Herasmo interviewed Gary about our role in this program. Gary explained that we simply obeyed God's call on our lives and brought this program from OMS. At the end Herasmo asked if there were questions. Several men expressed their gratitude to us and sent blessings to our family and church. One thing Gary mentioned was how happy we are that the evangelicals and Catholics are working together in this Train and Multiply Program to reach more people with the Gospel. Gary mentioned to them a quote from our pastor. He says The main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things. We know that we can agree on the main things and this will reach more people with the Gospel. I got up and told them what a blessing they are to all of us and that we are praying for them. Herasmo also passed out some placemats that our daughter Carrie and her Sunday school class have done for us to bring as gifts. They are just done on plain white paper but they are done with love and contained beautiful artwork and meaningful scriptures. They were very touched at these gifts. There was a lot of handshaking and blessings exchanged. 

As we were leaving, there was an inmate, not part of the program, standing at the door. He had lived in the United States and wanted to speak English with us! It is nice for us to be able to actually speak with someone. Most of the time we speak in our broken Spanish! Again, it was another blessed day seeing what the Lord is doing in the prisons of Honduras!

Thursday Nov 9

Today was our last full day here. Nora, Erasmo and Herasmo took us out to lunch to a beautiful restaurant overlooking the city. We were there before at night and it was beautiful, but even more so in the daytime.

After that they told us we would visit a house church on the outskirts of the city. This church was started by a young couple from their church who also participated in the Coaching Training last weekend. The restaurant was very high up above the city. The neighborhood where the church plant was located was also very high above the city. The roads were not as bad as the ones going into the Prison of Danli, but they were steep and very curvy. We picked some family members up on the way, then we traveled to their house. It was very nice but very remote and on a steep road. Erasmo was able to use his driving skills to get us in and out of that area!

This young couple, who we knew from previous times in their church, are leaders in this new house church and are using the Train and Multiply Program. It turns out that these people were all family and the young couple have been sharing the Gospel with them because that is what we are commanded to do! This in itself was exciting, but even more so when they started sharing testimonies of how Jesus had changed their lives. The young man who was the husband shared his testimony and it was powerful! He was drank alcohol so often and in excess that  he could not hold down a job and lost much in his life. When he came to know the Lord his whole life changed! He began to share his faith with the rest of the family. Now they all have testimony to share! Not everything is perfect for them, but their trust is in Jesus. It was such a blessing to see what God is doing in the neighborhoods of Honduras as well as the prisons! 

Lord willing, someday soon we will have a saturation project here just like the one in Colombia where the goal will be to make sure every ear has heard the name of Jesus.

Real World - Danli Prison: A MUST READ/WATCH

Consider something. We are heading into the shortest days of the year. At the same time, one of the wonders of the season is the warmth and twinkle of Christmas lights and candles and outdoor displays. If not for the darkness, those lights would not bring joy. They'd be dull. 

Less than a month ago on the way home from the airport after Gary and Diane's last trip to Honduras, Gary mentioned a Youtube video on one of the prisons that they had visited. I found it and experienced a new level of respect for what they do and PERHAPS a new level of trust for the mission that God has called my parents to pursue. Below you will find an old travel log entry from their 2016 trip to Danli Prison and then below that, you will find a link a the documentary.

Today we visited the Prison of Danli. It was only in the discussion mode the last time we were here. We left the house at 7 and had a lot of traffic going down the mountain into the city. It took almost 3 hours to get to this prison. The roads were very curvy - which is nothing new - and also they were in much disrepair. At times we had to almost stop to pass over the holes!

We stopped to pick up Pastor Briceno, who has been working tirelessly in Danli and other new facilities. Because of the distance, it is a blessing that he can visit these far away prisons. We witnessed three separate graduations from Train and Multiply, with more to come soon. There were about 180 total men in the T&M Program with about 50 graduating today. It was such a blessing to be there for this blessed event. The men appreciate the fact that we are able to visit them. But we are very blessed by seeing what the Lord is doing in the prisons here. They feel they are forgotten, but new life in Christ gives them strength for today and hope for tomorrow.

As we were leaving the prison, we got to speak with the warden (not the term they use), Erasmo and he have known each other a long time. I noticed a Bible laying open on his desk and that was special in itself. But then he shared his testimony with us. He was an adult when he became a believer and the Lord spoke to him in a dream to get his attention. It was very dramatic. He shared the The Lord called him and then promised him safety in the very dangerous job that he does. So he is very supportive of bringing the Gospel into Danli, and seems to be grateful that the program is changing lives throughout the cell blocks.

It is so moving to see the enthusiasm of these men for the Gospel. They do not have much here on earth, but they have the hope of salvation.

Sadly we have no pictures of this wonderful celebration because cameras and phones are prohibited in the prisons here.

The documentary is 43 minutes but even a quick hop over to take a look at parts of it should be sufficient - although it is quite interesting if you have the time.

Danli Prison Documentary

It is difficult to believe that these two things could be happening side by side in the same prison. And yet very literally, that is the truth. The 2016 documentary and the Train & Multiply program were happening at the same time. And in a prison population of 700 inmates (per the documentary) 25% have been through the training. THESE are the things we miss if we are only watching the regular news and channels like Discovery!! These are the stories that go untold. Jesus is alive and well in the darkest of places.

So the next time you drive past a holiday display at night that makes you smile, offer a prayer that all around the world, Jesus CONTINUES to light up the dark places with HIS SCANDALOUS LOVE and His dedicated hands and feet.