May/June Ministry Update

A New Partnership

In the first few weeks of the month of May, we received news that our in-country “covering” organization, HFMM (Honduran Fellowship of Missionaries & Ministries), had partnered with Networking Honduras, a non-profit org based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. Networking Honduras has been working for more than 8 years with NGOs (Non-Governmental Orgs) and ministries focused on Honduras. Most of these organizations are based in the U.S. and take teams to Honduras to help people “on the ground”. HFMM helps missionaries and ministries within Honduras (such as us). The partnership between these two organizations has opened up many more opportunities and will help to ease our work here and work of others through the resources they provide.

One of the greatest benefits of this new partnership is that of being connected to many more ministries whose desire is to help the Honduran people. By working together we can accomplish a lot more in Honduras and expose our work, the work of others, and the need in the communities we work in to a larger audience.

Family selfie in
“Downtown Disney”.

A Trip to Orlando

Through Networking Honduras and HFMM, we also now have the benefit of being able to participate in conferences for the purpose of networking and sharing resources. We have taken advantage of this new blessing by attending a conference at the end of May in Orlando, Florida, hosted by Networking Honduras. We took a short 8-day trip to Orlando to both attend the conference and enjoy a family gift of tickets to a popular Florida “theme park”, of which we are very thankful! It was a much needed break and very refreshing in many ways as a family and for our ministry.

Meeting the Vice President of Honduras

Vice President Alvarez opening the
conference in Orlando.

 One more benefit to attending the conference in Orlando was being able to meet the Vice President of Honduras, Ricardo Alvarez (pictured) and his wife Lucrecia. Ricardo was a keynote speaker at the conference and Lucrecia led one of the breakout sessions. Both have had extensive experience with missionaries and ministries and volunteer with various ministries on a regular basis. We had an opportunity to speak with them in an informal meeting at the end of the conference. They are committed to helping missionaries and ministries in Honduras accomplish what God has called them to do. It is amazing the doors God has opened here in Honduras, not just for us, but for every missionary, ministry and NGO doing work here.

The Forgotten People of Honduras:
Garifuna & Moskito

Two days after our return from Florida, I (Corey) had the opportunity to join a team whom I connected with over a year ago called AHMEN (Alabama-Honduras Medical Education Network). They invited me to join them to La Mosquitia, the eastern most part of Honduras known as the Mosquito Coast, for a 5-day trip. This region is home to the Moskito people, an indigenousness indian people group, as well as to Garifuna communities living among them along the eastern coast. This team has been providing workshops to help lesser reached people groups learn new skills and to provide needed resources. A main goal of this group is to train local leaders in order to train others (multiplication). The focus of the workshops were to address local problems such as water filtration, infant care, nutrition, and how to form community groups to initiate positive change. All the workshops are done through local pastors/churches and include a message centered around the Lordship of Jesus Christ and as the ultimate source of hope and lasting change.

Workshop in Cusuna at a local church with pastor leading.

It was a great team with 4 doctors, 3 national pastors, 3 missionaries, 2 educators, 2 water experts, and a handful of others from the U.S., England, Columbia, Costa Rica and Honduras. After five days in La Mosquitia and a very adventurous trip there and back (I was one of the drivers/navigators), I came back with lots of new ideas for ministry. One of those ideas is that of workshops that we've already begun to develop. These workshops will go hand-in-hand with what our ministry already focuses on (namely empowerment of local people with a Christ-based message and providing connections to resources). Please pray with us about developing these workshops and that they would have lasting impact.

Corey and Chris in La Mosquitia.

Another blessing on this trip with the AHMEN team was meeting a young man named Chris. He is from a Garifuna community that we stopped and visited. This community is home to a medical clinic that was established through the help of AHMEN. Chris' family has been helping at the clinic since it's opening several years ago. One doctor who works at the clinic joined the team as well as Chris to help in whatever way he could. He speaks Garifuna, Spanish, and some English so was a great help. Through the trip, we were able to talk about ministry and his desires. He has studied social development in the university level and has an interest in joining us in ministry. We're giving Chris an “internship” to help us and learn firsthand about the ministry. Our desire is to eventually hand-off the ministry we're developing to nationals, preferrably young Garifuna men such as Chris, with a desire to serve. Chris' Christian character and desire to serve is evident, so we ask you please pray for him and his involvement with our ministry in the near future. Thank you!

Darren hiking across a suspension bridge
in the Pico Bonito jungle.

Meet our college intern, Darren!

Darren, who is a university student from Louisiana, is with us for six weeks as he helps our missionary friends and us in various aspects this summer. He's learning what ministry is like in La Ceiba and experiencing the culture of Honduras. He's been with us for a week now and is feeling more part of the family every day. Pray God would show him his glory and purposes while he stays with us. We're glad to have him!

The Need is not the same as the Call

God called us to Honduras, not because of the location, the need, or to serve in a certain capacity or vocation. God called us to a people called the Garifuna, a rich African-rooted culture with a troubled history and a need for hope. We often recall how God “called” us. It was not a need to fill (although there are plenty) or a desire on our part (and plenty of those as well). The need is not the same as the call we receive. The need is the opportunity for us to exercise the call. It was an obedience to God telling us to share the hope we have with these people.

We also realize that this call is not only to change others, but to change us. God often works in mysterious ways, but one thing we know for sure about him is that he wants what's best for us and desires to shape us into his image through whatever means he desires. Our calling most likely will shift and change someday, but until then we are to be obedient to do and be what he has given us to do and be.

So our message to you is this: Be a missionary where you are at! He may call you overseas to a foreign land, but more likely is he is calling you right where you are. God can use you in amazing ways if only you obey and follow. Count the cost (because it is high) and realize his calling and your response to that call is what matters.

“But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:24)

What work has been assigned to you to carry out?

Please pray with us!

• Our water project is still underway. We are waiting for a pump to arrive via the States that was donated to us. Praise God for this blessing! And please pray for the remaining details to fall into place.
• Pray for Chris and his involvement in our ministry.
• Pray for healing for Kirsten and her family as they mourn the loss of their aunt who was very close to the family.
• Pray for the process of getting Gavin transferred to a new school. The process is difficult, but we trust the outcome will be best for him.

Thank you for your on-going prayers and partnership!

In His mighty grip,
Corey, Kirsten, Gavin & Garret