Honduras

Day 7 (Saturday):
We had a great day with our friends at Point of Impact Ministries.

Sunset last night from the back of the truck:

Honduras

Day 5 (Thursday):
Today was a full day of teaching (8:30am - 9:00pm with regular breaks).  We were thankful today for all of you that have invested in us and trained us.  We have really enjoyed our time here in Siguatepeque.

Seeing the men and women soak in and take notes from all that was taught was encouraging.  Today probably felt like drinking from a firehouse, but giving these good folks tangible, teachable lessons on discipleship will hopefully have a multiplying effect throughout their country.  They were so receptive and appreciative, even when they were given an exam at the end of day!  From the Thessalonian Legacy and Multiplication to How To's and Qualifications of a Disciple Maker, they received great lessons on the Master's strategy for reaching the masses.  We are all humbled by their willingness and commitment.

View from where we are staying:

Pepper teaching Multiplication:

The gave us a special gift for coming:

 Jeremy teaching with Marco translating:

Brad teaching with Marco translating:

Chris teaching with Marco translating:

 New friends!

Marco teaching Vision and Strategy:

Honduras

Day 4 (Wednesday Dec. 4):

We made to Siguatepeque today.  Pepper taught tonight on the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).  The team is healthy and doing great!

Pepper teaching on the power of multiplication through discipling:

A seminary is hosting the training here.  They grow stuff to sustain the ministry.  These are coffee bean trees that they will sell in the future.  Love it!

Where we are staying (building on the left) and the chapel at the seminary.

Honduras

Day 3 (Tuesday):

Thank you all for the prayer and support.  This morning we were able to spend time praying and prepping for the next few days of teaching.  This afternoon and through the evening we spent time in a local village working with a ministry that consisted of a group of local pastors working together.  This was an outreach event that was and will be memorable.  Our team left there speechless to say the least.   We will be pondering on, reflecting on, and strategizing on the events from this night for some time.

For the outreach event, the ministry uses a medium sized cargo truck that has the back converted and decorated to look like a large present.  The side of the truck folded down which converted the truck into a stage that they use to play worship music and preach from.  They also use this truck to host events and build relationships in areas of the city where they want to plant churches.  Before they started the evening event with the truck, they invited all the locals starting around noon to come to two of the local churches to have beauty care services performed.  The ministry partnered with a local beauty school that provided free services as part of their training.  This gave us an opportunity to spend time sharing the gospel with both the women and men who were being served, and with the women from the beauty school. 

Please lock arms with us in prayer as we head to the next place tomorrow morning (Wednesday).  We will be training a group of youth pastors in disciple making tomorrow night.  Pepper will be teaching the Great Commission and Vocabulary.  Marco will be teaching Vision and Strategy.  Thursday the group will all be teaching on disciple making from morning to evening.  We are praying for this group to see the Master’s plan to make disciples to all nations.  This group of youth pastors/leaders will be the next generation of leaders in this country and beyond.  The potential influence the Lord may give them is huge.  Pray for them to see the vision and for the vision to hit them from their mind to their feet.

Picture before heading to a local village:

Squeezing in (fun in in the back around the mountains!)

Picture at a local village (Lost in translation was the type of smile Marco was supposed to do):

 Brad sharing the gospel with new friends:

Marco sharing and listening:

Precious children:

 Beauty salon / outreach at church.

Pepper sharing:

Honduras

Day 2

Tonight God sent us to a group of pastors/leaders here in Tegucigalpa with whom we enjoyed great fellowship.  They were incredibly hungry for the Word.  We completely shifted our teaching overnight from what we had planned.  Marco and I taught the Old Testament portion of Bible Overview (we did not plan on teaching Bible Overview on this trip).  Marco did a great job translating.  He has been an incredible blessing the team, not just for teaching, but also for conversations as we talk about life with everyone we meet. 

After we did the Old Testament map, we had four different people come up to do the map.  It was a blast.  To see them reteach it immediately with excitement was really encouraging.  It is a joy to see God at work and to see the hunger they have for God.

Tomorrow we will be going out with the same group of pastors to share the gospel in various areas.

Pastor reteaching the Old Testament map:

Marco and Jeremy teaching tonight:

 Late dinner tonight with Bolivar at Power Chicken:

Quick video of the teaching tonight:

Honduras

Day 1
Greetings from Honduras.  Marco came from Guatemala and met Pepper, Brad, Chris, and myself (Jeremy) here this afternoon.  

We are all doing great, but are very tired.  But I do want to tell a quick story.  After Chris walked through security this morning, he shortly thereafter realized he did not have his wedding ring.  I've been there.  That quick look of distress when everything stops as your mind starts tracing every recent step.  He went back to the security check point and thankfully a good samaritan turned it in.

God reminded me of something foundational with Chris' wedding ring.  His wedding ring is symbolic of his marriage.  It is symbolic that he is taken.  He and his wife now submit to each other and serve one another.  This reminded me of the mission we are on and what binds us together.  The gospel has bound us together.  I thought about what it would be like if we left out the gospel in our teaching.  Without the gospel, there be no hope in this broken world.  Without the gospel, we would try to find hope in ourselves or something else in this fallen world.  Without the gospel, there would be a huge gaping hole remaining in our heart.  The gospel is our only lasting hope.  Hope brings new life, new purpose, new desires, etc.  The old life, the old purposes, and the old desires die when we trust in Christ and receive new life.  Thank you Lord for doing the work to rescue us.  

View from the rooftop: