2024 Summer Missions

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

Thank you so much for your prayers and support for the ministry! By God’s grace, we had another incredible team and an incredible trip to Central America for three weeks in July and August.

Faithfulness in Preaching

Faithful brothers put together the funding for a soccer court in Honduras years ago, and we started hosting sporting events there regularly. I remember at each event young men would share the gospel with the attendees, planting seeds. After years of this faithful work, one of the young men who frequently attended these events finally came to the Lord last year. He said that his conversion has not been easy with him losing friends due to his new faith in Christ, but that he desires to be faithful.

Bittersweet Faithfulness

A few days before the majority of the team arrived, this same young man married Pastor Hector’s daughter. If you remember, Pastor Hector’s wife Marina passed away a few short months ago, and Hector was talking about how difficult it has been to lose her, but how important it has been that people keep coming to encourage and bless him. He told us that he wanted give up at points, but God has given him the strength to go on with the mission.

And yet God has blessed him with a new son – and the new couple are staying with Hector at La Esperanza to help him care for the place, and they desire to be faithful to the Lord and the ministry. Please pray for this young couple, for Hector, and that other young men will also come to the Lord.

Sharing the Love of Christ in Schools

Our first team dedicated their time to visiting schools near our Hope Center in El Salvador, and our very first day took us to a school that had been closed off until last year because the surrounding area had been so violent that no one could get in. By God’s grace the area is now so calm, that a teacher at the school invited us to come because he knew how much the students needed the gospel, and we gladly went. The students were extremely receptive to the message of Christ’s love – and they are practically orphans because so many of their parents are either dead or in prison.

Is this not what the scripture says is a part of true religion – to look after orphans and widows in their distress? (James 1:27)

And yes, for those of you wondering, we did bring a unicorn as part of the program and part of the ministry to the kids. We visited seven schools and have been invited back to every one for next year. Will you pray and consider being a part next time?

Landslide

We got word that a family with special needs kids had been through a mudslide. The woman has two special needs children, recently lost her husband, and lives with her sister on the side of a steep hill. Both kids have attended the Night to Shine event by the Tim Tebow Foundation, and miraculously, even though the mudslide came in the middle of the night, one of her kids was at a friend’s house, and the sister named Paula was covered up to her neck in mud and managed to get pulled out.

We were able to share the gospel and hope with Paula, and she asked for a Bible. Please pray that salvation will come to this entire family, and that the Lord will help them.

Meeting Physical and Spiritual Needs

Our second team had the pleasure of serving about 700-900 patients in Honduras and Guatemala – the days were so full we had trouble keeping track of numbers some days. We had a team of doctors, a nurse, a dentist, dental hygienists, an optometrist, a Christian counselor, evangelists, receptionists, and a dedicated team working the pharmacy that even included one of our local elders in Honduras.

We had a team from five different countries, and even sent our first team of three from Guatemala!

One team member said that their favorite part of the trip was “so many people from different countries, different languages, different cultures, different denominations…. All working together for one purpose, and one goal - to minister to people’s physical needs, so that we could minister to their spiritual needs. It was amazing. And the love that we have for each other transcends all language barriers.”

The entire team came together for such a time as this – when many were suffering from a dengue outbreak, our team was able to help many who were suffering from other ailments, like a boy who had a grain of corn stuck in his nose for two years. No medical professional was able to even find it, but our doctor from Mexico was able to get it out within minutes, freeing him from his affliction.

Changes

One of the communities we visit in Guatemala was so unruly that all of the teachers quit. Last year when we visited, the kids were standoffish and the community seemed suspicious of us. The school where we ran the medical clinics was filthy and abandoned. We prayed that the Lord would bring change and new teachers. The Lord answered our prayers! This time when we visited, the kids ran up to hug us, and the school now has several teachers.

Our pastor Bladimir regularly visits, along with another missionary, and we can see the change the Lord has brought through the sharing of the gospel. Please pray that the Lord continues to transform this community, and that we are able to plant a permanent church there.

The Lord is Good

These are just some of the stories God gave us during the trip, and there are many others, but a limited amount of space. It is such a privilege to serve our Savior together, and we are looking forward to the December trip. Please continue to pray for Central America: our leaders, our brothers and sisters, and those who need the gospel.

Grace and peace to you all,
Paul