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Church news

5/4/2021

Grow

4/26/2021

I was having a conversation this week and accidently came upon the realization that life never gets easy. Duh.

I guess the realization was more that the curves that life throws at you, the things you don't know how to do, how to react to...that there isn't an age or level where those things go away. It was one of those comforting and terrifying realizations.

Sometimes you just want things to be easy, or known quantities.

So that is some uncomfortable growth there.

In other news, we are praying for some more comfortable growth.

After a lot of work over many months, we are ready for some more fruit trees on the Tegucigalpa property. More room for birds to perch, more shade, more oxygen, and maybe even some fruit eventually, presuming we can keep them alive and well.

We put some money in the local economy buying nine clay pots to put around the property. Big pots though, about a meter by meter. Big enough to plant trees in them and maybe some plants eventually around the base.

There is some other space we have though that have the rest of the trees without being in the way long term.

I say long term because we will be meeting soon with an architect to see how we can plan for the next 5-20 years on the property with expansion of the clinic, probably big expansion over a couple decades, a proper meeting area (for pastor's meetings, etc.) and a non-clinic office area for Oscar, and more parking, extra space.

Should be interesting. I am guessing there will be more to hear on this in the coming months as we work out a plan.

The white Ford keeps taking a beating but keeps ticking up in Sampedrana on the farm. One recent casualty was the back bumper which got a big dent in it. But...we didn't need the seating area in the bed, so Pablo is "modifying" one of the seats to be a beefy strong replacement.

We are experimenting with some leather projects with a friend in the USA, he might have a market for leather journal covers, etc. During the experimenting, Maria had some bits of extra leather to make some key chains.

There seems to abound new things to contemplate and work on, and a bunch of old things that require help beyond our scope of knowledge (website improvements, legal paperwork and errands, insurance, etc.) that certainly can add stress and unease to the days...and nights.

The struggle is to remember that in the middle of the battle (of what to do, or the battle of the mind) to remember who is in charge, and who has control.

Plans

4/14/2021

Las Botijas classrooms could start doing double duty

Talanga construction...an architect might be able to help us creatively use the property for several different uses.

Some of you know that Valerie and Felipe will be at Camp Allendale near Indianapolis this summer working with the camp/campers there and raising funds.

But what not everyone knows is what that fundraising will be used for...
(short answer...Milk Project)

Expanded answer...
Part of our long term plan is to increase our impact in the geographical areas where we are already working. So where we have Churches outside Tegucigalpa, can we also add the other things we do as a mission? Not every community could support or make even close to cost feasible a clinic, nor can we do coffee planting everywhere, but we do look at each community.

So, we will be focusing in 2021 trying to raise the up front funds we will need to do the construction for Milk Project buildings...

first... in Las Botijas, where we will have less to do (play area, kitchen, storage...we can use the classrooms already built to start)

second... in Talanga. We will have to figure out with an architect how to build in Talanga, given we will want to add a clinic there as well. We were going to buy property adjacent...but it is very expensive. So maybe we can save the money and go second or third story with some new construction?

We won't raise enough at the camp to do all this...plus we will need sponsors to keep the project going when construction is done, but that is the plan...exciting stuff as to how it can help children in these communities, and the Churches as well to have these outreach possibilities.

The coffee harvest continues. It is almost over in Las Botijas, but still plenty to go in Sampedrana. I chose this year to dream big and have a goal of holding back 10,000 pounds, hoping that we can find homes for all of it abroad.

Well, not sure if the dream is possible yet, but we already have over 10,000 pounds green already. And we are selling the rest we are harvesting as it comes.

The raspberries we bought in October to plant on the farms are producing.

Not much for now, but Carlos sent the "first fruit" back with Oscar for us to see.

Yet another way we are focusing on helping rather than just doing this as a business. These raspberries won't be sold...they will be used for the Milk Project or juice for staff or people working on the farms, Churches.

If we can find homes for this coffee though, we could actually end up doing a lot more for the ministry. I shouldn't say if...but when. All in God's timing.

As always, if you are interested in joining us on the ride by drinking some, you can do that right here

Lots of coffee to move...first to store, now to sell.

Raspberries...yum!

Dropping off coffee beans at the market

Going up and down

3/12/2021

We took a trip up to Sampedrana last week to see how the road has been faring since the hurricanes and after some of the work that has been done. I must say I was taken aback about still what can be seen around the road, and how much work it must have taken to build it back up and repair after the storms...and that is just the road to the Church, let alone to the farm!

It is a good time of year to take that drive and pick priority points of where we need to invest more to make getting to the farm safer. It will take years yet to get to a "happy" place...but it starts now, and with an impetus to invest more in smaller places, but work that will be more...concrete, if you will. Also gravel and digging/widening, but mostly more concrete to get over water, and to improve traction on the worst hills

We also discovered the big, towering tree that overlooked much of the lower part of the farm was struck by lightning. It will have to be brought down before it falls down, soon.

We also need to work on building more "bunk space" for the workers that come up to harvest coffee. As they are in the middle of harvesting right now, we got to see how they are currently using the one house we have, and how it is less than adequate. Everyone pays the same amount per pound harvested...but as a mission we can do more to testify and show care to those that invest months working, but giving them better quarters, and maybe looking at how we can help them on the food front as well more intentionally.

Given the ability to move about a little more freely, along with the fact that our groups for this year won't start until June (at least) we decided to take advantage of the time to tackle a big and small project that has been needed for the mission house.

The big project was revamping, changing, and tiling the stairs. We increased the step size, added a step, and added the grippy tile. If you ever felt a little unsure going down these stairs...this is a big upgrade.

The second is adding a false ceiling in the hallway above the stairwell. Which is just a nice "less dust" touch, and if you have been in the house when it is raining now...should cut down on the noise factor.

With that...we put a close on all the needed work on the mission house for the foreseeable future, which is nice.

The Milk Project continues, albeit now going on a year of not having in person classes.

The staff is constantly working/thinking about how to do things differently and be creative.

I was talking to Maria when I saw some of the "homework" they have been sending out, in addition to the actual schoolwork. These are lessons that they send out...and that the kids have to turn in when they are done.

This one is about the birth of John the Baptist, but the fourth question is "What has God done in your life?"

Catch up

2/9/2021

Sorry it has been a while. Things have been a bit, well, you know.

We last left you with hurricanes. And since then, the mission has been blessed to help. We received almost $47,000 total, and probably in the next week all that will be spent.

Between brigades, house cleaning, rebuilding/materials, food, mattresses...there are a lot of volunteer hours, driving, and just a lot of heart involved. We are so thankful to everyone involved, abroad and in Honduras, that worked together through donations and hands and feet on the ground here to make all this possible.

The process isn't over, those communities face a very load road of digging out (still...thousands and thousands are still homeless) and rebuilding.

In other news, after many years with us as pastor in Sampedrana, Henry decided to quit at the end of December, taking a full time job for a milk company.
For now, we are going to try out a new pastor who is not from Sampedrana but has worked there in coffee for several years, and has been getting trained and serving in the Church, Juan. He will help us with the coffee some, as well as serve as pastor. We are praying for this transition time and that it would be good for all involved.

We have a new Church plant, in an area called Guayavillas...although I haven't found it on the map yet to confirm. Where is it? Kind of between Tegucigalpa and Danli, but also not too far from Cantarranas.

Pastor Jonathan had people approach him to start Bible studies, and in a borrowed location, started to have services...and last week had six baptisms. We are praying how we can support this new work, that wasn't in the budget for 2021, but this is a good problem to have. For right now we are at least trying to help Jonathan with the extra fuel he will be spending weekly, and praying about adding another pastor there possibly soon?

That is a brief update for now...tons of other things going on, lots of administrative plans, and activities...hopefully more to share soon!

Hurricanes

11/20/2020

Wait, the last post was in early September? Good grief, I knew I was busy, but that took me aback.

We fly to the US October 1st, and that certainly did open some doors literally and figuratively. We were doing it to get medicines and supplies, getting the kids out of isolation, and us as well. We were hoping to relax, take some time off, but I would be lying if we have been totally successful on that front, but we have been trying.

It was quite frustrating in a way to be here when two major hurricanes within two weeks were threatening Honduras. We wanted to be home, to be able to help. Instead, sitting on the sidelines, at least how it felt.

Thankfully for us, both Eta and Iota did not hit Teguicgalpa or our Church areas with nearly the force that was anticipated. That does not mean that it didn't hit with great force elsewhere, and after Eta passed, our staff was looking to see how they could help the areas hardest hit.

People living in a school covered gym area that lost everything in the hurricane

Doctor Darwin with a first run to buy mattresses to give away to those that have no where to sleep.

We have missions that we know up in the San Pedro Sula area, and taking medical relief was requested. Doctor Darwin quickly coordinated a team from the clinic and went up for a few days and saw over 600, and heard and saw much more of the damage. That was after Eta and before Iota, which re-hit that area hard. The airport in San Pedro Sula was under water, and then with Iota, under water even more.

With this kind of flooding, and from reports from those in the areas they visited, in areas that have not seen flooding in the past, houses were lost, or completely flooded making almost everything in the homes ruined. As things are cleaned out, big piles are left in the street waiting for the government to dispose of everything.

The staff is coordinating buying, transporting, and distributing what is needed most...mattresses, food, medicines and clothing. It will take several trips over several weeks, with staff and volunteers.

Thankfully, donations are coming in to help, and there is a lot of help needed. You can donate here via our donate page, designating for emergency relief in the drop down menu.

There were areas affected closer to home, and we will also be seeing how we help in other parts of the country as well...reports are coming in that near Danli there are affected areas, and at least one pastor has some reports of problems of flooding in his home, near Talanga. And there are road issues in many, many areas.

Seen below is Luz Belen in the house her parents were building in Sampedrana. The hard rains there that have washed out the road also affected their adobe, which they only had been able to cover with a roof half way before the storm. They are living with grandparents. (Luz is part of the Milk Project in Sampedrana.)

I don't think I could give an update here on everything else going on in the ministry...even with COVID and hurricanes, there is quite a bit going on, and things that need tackling. Including seeing below...we had issues with water coming through the walls during hard rains in the Milk Project. We tried fixes inside, but ultimately, had to work outside sealing, and then painting the exterior walls. Hoping that will help a great deal. It is certainly more blue now to stand out.

And Oscar reports that Sunday when he went to visit for the 8th anniversary of the Church in Danli, that he heard the testimony of the young woman pictured below, (volunteering by handing out celebratory tamales.) She was thankful for his prayers. In January he visited her house with pastor Edwin and a few group members during a medical brigade we were doing in the area.

She shared how she did not like Church, but since that day something happened, and now her and her family, and her husband are faithful in the Church, and her life has been blessed.

What else to say but...amen y amen

Signs

9/4/2020

I have had a hard time focusing lately. Not focusing on work, but focusing on prayer, on my absolute dependence on God, on my inability to affect the changes that I want sometimes. I wish sometimes I could go back to when my work primarily looked like the picture above..building things, moving things, seeing progress in front of my eyes (this is just outside the clinic property on the road...sewer pipes in, concrete coming next, and then we wait for them to hook everything up!)

We are facing paperwork/rules work that is seemingly unsolvable right now on the container fronts. Ultimately, there are issues that I cannot fix. But what will happen? I don't know. That all adds up to severe depression...and then some rescue this week via the Holy Spirit. We just have to pray...for God to make a way, because that is the only way...literally and figuratively.

Above, a picture of our new clinic sign. We had tried a painted one a while back, but it never quite fit and was hard to grasp. So, we had this made, and it was pretty inexpensive! We had it made a little smaller to help read it...and plan on filling in the areas around it soon with some different colored/shaped arrows to help point the way.

And below...more coffee. Sorry about the flash/plastic getting in the picture in a few places. I bought the first pound of this new batch, to taste test before it heads to the US soon. 2100 pounds of coffee. Now...we just have to get it distributed. We had a lot of help and people getting together to get great deals on the 50 pound boxes we sent a few months ago, we are hoping we can repeat that and more...as we push to grow this way of drinking great coffee and making a difference here.

I can see the light in this tunnel...finding people to drink coffee, and them directly helping us get to where we can be self sufficient and even go to the next level. It isn't that far away, and every coffee drinker, coffee giver, coffee gifter, comes into play.

This time, we will have about 800 pounds each of ground and whole bean...but also some darker roast whole bean and ground, about 500 pounds worth.

If you want to buy some coffee now though, you can...email me to coordinate a 50 pound box (shipping is so much cheaper that way) or place an order for one, three or five pounds here

Cinnamon tea

8/27/2020

I feel like God opened my eyes this morning. It is often amazing to me how gently, how slowly, and how much patience He has. I think I would have given up on me by the time I turned 18.

We have had a cinnamon tree growing on the property here for many years. A novelty, we didn't know what we were doing when we bought it, it just seemed cool. Despite just being planted and left, in the shadow of a now huge avocado tree no less, it has continued to grow and is now about eight feet tall. Recently we decided to look up what is required to harvest cinnamon, and Oscar and Jorge gave it a try, with Maria looking after it and using it afterwards.

This morning, Valerie got some of it, and made cinnamon tea. I had some. Tasted like cinnamon water, not too bad!

I have been a bit depressed of late (uh, who hasn't?) and also thinking about the measures society uses for prosperity, specifically financial. I probably was coveting a couple times in my mind, maybe jealous a bit if I am honest at seeing a few things. Really I would describe those feelings as...a lack of focus and vision (oh, and sin, lest I forget.)

Not to get way too over personal for comfort, but that tea this morning was a "breath of fresh smack in the head" reminding me...treasure, prosperity, and joy, doesn't come ultimately where we think it does.

That might not make a lot of sense to you, I'm not sure, but it was clear as day for me.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
    nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Let's hope it sticks with me for a while.

Building up, and down

8/19/2020

I got word from Maria today that the homework help they have been tirelessly giving the kids in the Milk Project seems to be helping.

(Seen in the picture...just one little batch of pictures and things they are tasked with finding online.)

None of the kids is currently scoring under 80%! Good news indeed of building up.

We knew that the sewer project the government has been working on for the neighborhood has been moving along after being stopped for several months. Building down indeed.

They started coming up our road, and even have the hole dug already where our connection will be (going through the man cave, see picture 2) although it will be months still before they finish and any kind of connection is possible.

This is good news!

Months though is what we will need. We will have to re-route everything we have done over the years, and that means digging trenches for new pipes, inspection boxes, drops along the way, etc. All coming together in one pipe that will exit to the road and join up with the network.

It might take us several guys and a couple months or more to make that happen.

It is not easy stuff...cutting/digging through concrete, rock walls, and more. It will be a huge undertaking, but in the end, a lot more peace of mind for the long term.

Who knows, they may have the neighborhood below us even with fully paved roads in 2021. What a thing to see that will be!

pprreessuurree

8/13/2020

I am personally a bit down of late. Physically, actually not too bad. Back is not too bad, just an ear infection and otherwise, God be praised, still in good health. But mentally/emotionally...I am drained.  Apparently so is my keyboard. Some of those repeated letters in the title are its doing. It seemed appropriate, so I went with it. Also seems to describe trying to get to sleep every night.

No picture to share to show why I am feeling stressed, computer screens with big red Xs doesn't feel like necessary to share.

For almost five months now in quarantine, I am used to facing each day a little not knowing what I am doing, what should be done, how, etc. But with two containers coming, and government offices still somewhat closed or moving things online, I am finding myself as the only guy apparently that can do some of the paperwork that needs done, and with no clue what to do. Three or four different agencies (so far, gulp) different registrations, paperwork needed, payments...and all in different platforms, rules, etc. And...asking for information in that way that only government agencies do: beyond my understanding.

It is so draining and stressful I begged our customs agent to do some of it. "'Can't I just pay you to do it?" His answer, with sympathy in his voice: "No, has to be you pretty much." I got a little solice from him though when he told me he couldn't make heads or tails of the online system for the phytosanitary permit either. Although, it still left me then going to the physical office (two days in a row..the first day about 1 hour trip to find out we needed to have made an appointment) for another 1.5 hours to find that the people in charge...had no clue the online system was so confusing and requiring a username and password, that I had no way to request online. At least I got to leave the property I suppose. Now, I have to buy stamps...but electronically. And that means another organization to talk to. I mean, this last part came up literally as I was ranting here about the previous steps! I have been tested, and been found wanting...at every step of the way. I can't do this stuff, I am in way over my head. I am lost actually, and just keep stumbling from one email to the next. I need to place some more God calls. And also remember...so what, I don't know what I am doing? Who cares? Keep calm...and carry on. It will get done, eventually, and my ego bruising is ultimately a small price to pay if it means getting the things the mission needs. Even if it kills me! Well...hopefully it won't be that drastic. Although we did go over procedures if one of us were to die last week, that one being me since I know where all the passwords are kept.

But, there is other stuff going on, let's try to forget the soup of paperwork I am lost in, (you can pray for me after though, I need it) and talk about some other happenings.

We are taking advantage of Soren's welding skills, his availability, and desire to help to tackle another project that we wern't sure otherwise we were going to do for a while...a new backup tank for the mission house. Soon, when the power goes out, we will still have water for the groups to use. Also soon, if we need more welding, it will have to be on the weekends as Soren starts online classes next week.

The Milk Project...Maria and the rest of the staff continue to keep busy every day of the week. Helping pack food, cleaning the property, classes for themselves, even painting some more of the mural space outside.

And...creating Birthday cards for the kids. We can't celebrate like normal, so...time to celebrate, but not normal.

It feels like sometimes, the ministry work there is stopped. In some ways, sure.

But the letters I see from the kids, and sometimes from parents...I think they are more aware than ever of what they are missing, and what a blessing it is right now, with food for the families, and ongoing homework help, that the staff is there and helping how they can, even staying in touch via messaging and social media.

I love this picture. I mean, among many things buoying me and keeping me going in spite of my drained state, quite literally, this is a big one, because it is just one picture but represents a mentality, a way of being, that we exist for and want to see/be as a mission/people.

The bags of food we are sending out lately are not as full as they used to be. Donations have dropped off, and to make sure we can keep going into September, we had to drop to just doing beans and rice.

In Sampedrana, they took up a collection and are adding oil, sugar and more, like we used to be able to do as well. They see the needs, they visit the families, and they want to continue to help. Here is pastor Henry, his wife Isela and their son packing some of those extra items in the bags we sent.

Location

How can you find us?

In Honduras we are located in Colonia 25 de enero, very close to Ciudad Lempira and Arturo Quezada, on the campus of Clinica Cuerpo de Cristo.

In the US, checks can be sent to:
His Eyes
9903 Indian Lake Blvd. North Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46236

Contact Us

If you would like to contact us about the Milk Project, request to be added to our email updates or anything else, just email us from the link below!