I am grooooup

We have been busy of late!  It's like a marathon, so I haven't really been counting, but I believe we are in the middle of group 5 of 7 in a row.  I happened to see another missionary while running some errands and shared of our good fortune, and she lovingly shook her head, frowned and said "Felipe, Felipe, that is not healthy!"

I accepted her comment in the love it was meant, and understood that for many missionaries, groups are not as fun or advantageous for what they do, but thought I would share just a little here with you why it is hard for us to turn away teams.  

(I'm trying a new way to include text with a picture.  If this doesn't work out...I'll remember for next time.)

Home visits are a way to be an encouragement for those we are privileged enough to visit, as well as an eye opener for group members to how many of the people we meet throughout the week live.  

I took this picture because I liked this house, the view they had, but as we were leaving and talking to the boy that lived there I asked how much rain comes in from the neighbor above and how muddy that can get...quite a bit he said.  

I can't exactly explain it, but it is good sometimes to stop and chat about real life, and stuff going on, not necessarily to fix anything, just to empathize.  It was a quick moment, but just one of many that so many have in group settings like this, the visits and things we wouldn't be as able to do without groups here.  

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Construction projects, hello?!?!!

Raising money is hard.  For construction projects, sometimes harder.  I am not sure when we would ever get to finish this garage or the new storage area it will also contain, if not for groups.  

Plus, seeing for a day or two how so many work for their entire adult lives, is also an eye opener.  Those that have been here, have physically seen how much of the mission groups have touched with construction. The Hondurans are in charge of it getting done the right way, and often do a lot of the follow up or clean up work after we are done, but all of that is afforded from the funds the groups bring.  Lumped into "construction"...how about the thousands of coffee plants, the many fruit trees, murals, etc.?

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Staff encouragement.  I was tickled last week when Sintia asked for a copy of the group picture she lead doing house visits.  

Not all the staff speaks English like she does, but the encouragement groups bring to the staff and kids in the Milk Project, might be hard to measure, but you can feel it.  

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Like pastors as well.  When we can visit with a team, that is a big deal.  
Edwin stayed until midnight the night before we arrived, to be able to have the first church service upstairs in the new building with a group there.  Even though with construction we were an hour late...they waited on us because everyone wanted us to be there.  Humbling for sure.  

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How about the way group members can pour into each other's lives...both here, and when they get back?  

We don't even get to see most of that when it happens.  

I did hear recently of a relationship being solidified on a trip ten years ago, that then led to marriage.  

(I can't promise that level for everyone though)

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Remember above, I said "share just a little."  This doesn't really do teams justice what they mean to us, to the mission, and to what God is doing here and around the world.  Literally, we wouldn't be here, the mission would not be here, if not for the impact

We certainly could not host teams alone, far from it.  There is a team, which we need to grow (especially as 2025 looks to be DOUBLE what a "normal" year would have been just a few years ago.) and praying how to do so, but we are looking forward not only to the challenge...but what that will further mean that we can do for Christ.