This morning I am sitting on the rooftop patio of our Hotel, just off the main square of Copan.  It seems like there are as many chickens as people roaming the roads of the neighborhoods and I can hear the crowing of hundreds of roosters in the mountains above me.  I hope to see the sunrise this morning and the roosters are like a cheering crowd waiting along with me.  It is impossible to describe how beautiful this country is and also how broken it is. 

The word’s that Jesus spoke to the multitudes keep coming to my mind, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” 

As I work alongside the wonderful men of Honduras I am humbled and ashamed of my prideful, arrogant attitude.  I want God to restore in me a poor, meek and mourning spirit that hungers and thirst for His righteousness.  The surprising accomplishment of mission trips is not the physical tasks that get completed or the “good” works that are performed.  It is always what God can accomplish in our own hearts.

Let the Work Begin!!!!

A great day of working on the mountain.  We are putting in a water system for the neighborhood where Pastor Nahum lives.  This is a great need for the families that live in the area.  They must carry water from a spring that is farther down the mountain.  We found out quickly that we are flatlanders and just carrying ourselves up those mountain trails and roads was difficult.  The Honduran men were amused at our slow climbing abilities.  I think they felt sorry for us and really wished we would step aside so they could finish the trench.  The  girls are falling in love with the little children and the sweet Honduran ladies. more posts and pictures to come. Adios from Honduras!!

The Journey is as exciting as the destination.  Just a few pics of our travels.

Finally a post from the mountains of Honduras.  We arrived Sunday morning just before noon in San Pedro Sula.  Three 4x4 trucks and a van were rented to carry us westward into the mountains. James, Bobby, Gordon, and Jeff did a great job of getting us to Copan in one piece.  To survive driving in Honduras you must shift from a defensive driving mindset to an offensive driving mode.  All our drivers made the transition especially Gordon.

Everyone was tired and ready to get some rest when we arrived at our Hotel “The Acropolis”

It is an amazing place and the owner is very friendly.  He showed me the roof top hot tub and promised,  “Le Auqua Manyana” I can’t speak or spell Spanish but my redneck brain knew he meant “tomorrow we soak” which sounded great to me. 

We attended church Sunday night at the local church we are serving with.  Not sure what all was said but I felt the warmth and joy that only brothers and sisters in Christ can experience.

Tomorrow the work begins and we are all ready to get started.  Pray for us as we live and preach the good news in Copan Honduras.

The Amazing "Mission Team"

Airports have always fascinated me.  People from the far flung corners of the earth converge beneath one roof, some have reached their destination, and others are embarking on their journey, and still more are simply passing through.  I am an avid “people watcher” and airports are a “people watchers” paradise.  The variety and volume of people on spectacular display in a large airport is unmatched, all of them on a mission.  Speaking of missions, lately I have paid particular attention to a group of travelers that seem to be on the increase in airports across the globe, the “mission team”.  These folks are an interesting lot. They are often dressed in brightly colored matching tee shirts with a globe or cross worked into a logo that has been screen printed on the back.  If you look closely you can usually determine whether they are coming from or going to their mission field.  Are they bright eyed and bouncy, grinning and giddy? These are the “goers”, The sleepy eyed, disheveled, tail draggers are the “returners”.  What makes this group of mission minded travelers unique is that they are a group at all.  Teenagers, Plumbers, Doctors, Moms, Preachers and folks of every age, shape and color, wearing matching shirts. what is it that holds such an odd mix of personalities together, let alone accomplishing anything?  they have a powerful common hope that is found in following Jesus Christ.  The command to tell the nations the good news of salvation drives and unites them.  I know this to be true because I am one of them. Tomorrow I will join such a group, in an airport, to embark on a mission trip.  Thank goodness we will not be in matching neon tee shirts, but we will carry the same message.  It is the message that Paul brought and every evangelist since. Jesus died in our place, was buried in the ground and arose from the grave so that we may be set free from the curse of sin and death.  What a powerful message!

The "Bertha" that never was....

Good News! The tropical storm that was brewing in the Atlantic has fizzled out and should not cause us any problems. Thank you for your prayers over this concern and continue to pray for our safe travels and protection while we are in country. We will be traveling in a small convoy of vehicles driven by team members who are accustomed to driving in the U.S. not through the rural roads of a third world country. There are a lot of logistical details that need to fall into place for a team of 20 to make it to our destination. Pray that we will not get so focused on the physical challenges that we miss the spiritual opportunities before us. Often God chooses to disrupt all OUR best laid plans to achieve HIS own will and that is exactly what we pray God will do! It is exciting to be part of God’s plan for Copan Honduras!

All is ready!

Less than one week until we leave for Honduras! We have planned and prepared as much as one can for a mission trip. There are always many unknowns, that’s one reason why these trips are good for growing your faith. There is one looming concern growing in the Atlantic Ocean. It looks like a Tropical weather pattern is forming that could become a hurricane. If it grows into a tropical storm it will be given the name Bertha. I’m not sure why the verb “big” always seemed to naturally fit in front of Bertha, but it did. My apologies to anyone named Bertha. Pray for our traveling safety and that Big Bertha will not cause us any troubles.

HOPE!!!!



Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.   

In less than two weeks I will be in Copan Honduras with 20 fellow believers.  We will be busy building, teaching, feeding and serving for the sole purpose of sharing the Hope that is in us; Jesus Christ.

 It seems ironic to me that as we jet our way to Honduras with this message of Hope, thousands of women and children from that country are risking their lives fleeing to America in search of that very thing…… Hope.  In reality it is not hope they are searching for but hope is the force that motivates them to take such a huge risk. They believe in the promise of America, the promise of security and freedom. The evidence of this belief is a hope that moves them northward.

Pray for us and the people God puts in our path.  Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts to receive and believe In the One who offers true security and freedom, Jesus Christ.  Jesus, the one who promised life and is faithful.