MISSION QUEST HONDURAS 2004 TEAM 2

Thank you very much for your prayers and support during our time in Honduras. God blessed us this mission trip in many amazing ways! There were approximately 1254 adults who prayed to receive Jesus Christ during the Mission Quest 2004 (August 27th - September 5th) mission trip to Honduras. There were at least twice that number of children who accepted Jesus as their Savior. During our mission trip, the Lord greatly blessed our team and the Good Samaritan Baptist national pastors and sponsored kids.

Team 2 and the Tyson Family (Steve and Scarlet with daughter Ashley and Joan)

After our arrival in Tegucigalpa, we visited the Good Samaritan Baptist Radio Station in Tegucigalpa. Several members of our team presented their testimony on the Good Samaritano Radio Station which has millions of listeners in Honduras and Nicaragua.

Our first day was Sunday, so we visited a church in Choluteca, where Paula, Brandy, and Jason did a puppet show for the children from the church.

While we were doing the puppet show, Pastor Wilmer preached at the church. After the service we went on to a village called Namasigue, where we split into teams of 3 or 4 and went house to house. It was amazing how God led us to a Christian lady who was able to gather several families in each house we visited. The response to the Gospel was amazing; whole families were saved!

Monday, the 2nd day, we left San Marcos de Colon and traveled by bus along the Pan American highway to the small villages in Choluteca named El Naranjal (population 45) and El Cerco de Piedra (population 167 people). We got off the bus and took a break while Dan, Jason, and Ralph fixed tuned the solar radios.

While we were waiting by the bus, we noticed a road maintenance crew clearing brush from the other side of the highway using machetes. One of them came over to find out what we were doing. This was the Lord’s way of telling us they would be receptive to hearing the Gospel. Several of us decided to go over and present the Gospel to all twelve of the workers.

Pastor Wilmer and Pastora helped translate. Steve presented the Gospel and asked the following EE diagnostic questions: If you were to die tonight would you know for certain that you would go to heaven. If you were to die and stand before God and he asked you why he should let you into Heaven, what would you say? One of them told us he was already a believer. After we presented the Gospel and all of the men prayed to receive Jesus Christ. This was an amazing demonstration of the power of God’s Holy Spirit working in the hearts of the Honduras people. Later God led us to the house of a Christian lady who asked for prayer because her husband had left her with 5 kids to support and no income. She was greatly encouraged by our visit.

One of the teams, composed of Lanny, Jason, Steve, and Ruth serving as the translator, spent almost 2 hours climbing to the top of mountain. On the way up the mountain a large boa snake crossed our trail. We continued walking up a very rocky and steep trail going up the mountain. Near the top of the mountain, we met a group of grade school children half way up the mountain. Jason and Ruth presented the Gospel with the bracelet and the children prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The children led up the mountain to their home where we presented the Gospel and the family prayed to receive Christ.

Our team got so busy witnessing we did not notice it was very late in the afternoon. The rest of the teams waited on the bus for us for two hours and were about to send the rescue team to look for us.

The view from the mountain top was truly amazing.  Looking down on the houses in the villages below, I was reminded of the Bible passage in Matthew 9:36 "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."

During the rapid descent down the mountain, Lanny and Steve flew down on the difficult trail several times. Thank God none of us got hurt. The ministry teams presented the Gospel in many houses and many people prayed to receive Jesus Christ.

Tuesday was spent visiting the Good Samaritan High School and Grade School.  The Grade School children greeted us with the Honduras Bienvenidos (welcome) song, then presented choir, native Honduras dances, and drama presentations for us.

We then visited the GBSM elderly center where we visited with the seniors and helped serve them lunch. They told us about the wonderful blessings they have received from the GBSM ministry and told us they are grateful for the support from the USA churches and for the ministry of Bob and Joan Tyson.

Then we visited a GBSM feeding kitchen for school children. We helped feed the children and gave them balloons. Tom did some magic tricks for them, which they really enjoyed.

GBSM has a child sponsorship program called “Opportunity for a Lifetime”. Calvary Chapel churches have over 100 sponsored children in this program. Sowe had a big party for all the sponsored kids.

During the trip, Steve and I visited with our two sponsored children, Alejandra (age 7) shown below with Lanny (mission team leader)

Shown below is a photo of Marinelvin (age 16) who has changed so much since we saw her last year. She started in Good Samaritan Christian Boarding School in February. She was so happy, talking freely about classes and friends. She has just blossomed since last year.

Wednesday we visited at San Lorenzo. The morning was wonderful—our team got to see an entire family of three generations come to know Christ. At lunchtime we ate under a big tree in someone’s yard.

They had a beautiful turkey walking around in full feathers. I asked Steve to take a picture of him. I guess he didn’t like it, because next thing I knew he attacked me! I never dreamed I’d be attacked by a turkey!

The rest of the day went downhill from there. We visited two houses where I could tell that the mom and older daughter wanted to receive Christ, but the father said no. We left tracts and a radio at each home, so we’re praying that those women will still accept Christ through the misitry of Good Samaritan Radio. The other teams, however, had a mighty harvest, with 117 people total coming to Christ that day. Amazing!

Thursday morning we visited a village called Santa Mira. Almost everyone who heard the Gospel received Christ! There was one home where there was a man working on the walls inside, and everyone accepted the Lord, even the workman and a neighbor from next door. Thursday afternoon was rough—we encountered a pocket of staunch Catholics who would not believe that salvation could be by grace alone, in spite of what the Bible said. But we ended on a joyful note because four women standing by the bus received Christ just before we quit for the day.

Friday we got to go up in the mountains again. This time the road was too rough to take the bus, so we piled into an SUV and the back of an industrial sized truck. We nearly got our teeth rattled out, but the views were spectacular! One of the Team2 members,

Ralph Ambrose posed for a photo in front of a hugh Ceiba tree. This tree is probably over 600 years old and it the national tree of Guatemala.

The hiking was hard because we were climbing the mountain to get to each house. One house we visited belonged to the cousin of the Christian man who was guiding our team. It took us 20-25 minutes to get to her house, all uphill at high altitude. But I will never forget that visit. The lady was so responsive to the Gospel, but she hesitated when we asked her if she would pray to receive Christ. She said she wanted to talk it over with her husband first. I decided to have Nat share the Gospel (using the Children's Gospel bracelet with gold, black, red, white, green beads.) with her older daughter who was probably 10 or 11. Again, when we got to the point of decision, the little girl looked at her mom, not wanting to accept unless her mom said it was ok. Clara shared with the mom that she had the opportunity ro lead her whole family into the Kingdom. It was apparent that she was afraid of how her husband would react, but she bravely made the decision to accept Christ, along with her daughter. Then we had the opportunity to treat her two small children, both with severe skin infections. God provided just the supplies we need to clean and dress the areas, as well as supplies for the mom to change the dressings later. I asked about a public health clinic, but she said it was an hour drive from where we parked the trucks, so almost impossible for her to get to carrying two little kids.

  After one of our teams presented the Gospel, all of the members of the school teacher's family prayed to receive Christ. 

She was very excited and had great happiness in her heart. She then invited us to present the Gospel at her school. Bev Hill presented the Gospel using the bracelet by Bev Hill, and all of the children at the public grade school prayed to receive Christ.

Our last day of ministry was also the hottest. There was a group of twenty kids who followed us from house to house. Bev led the whole group to the Lord using the bracelets! 

We visited several memorable houses, one family of Christians with a severely handicapped daughter who were greatly encouraged by John Hill (Bev’s husband and a retired pastor). The next home there was a young man with severe heart problems who received Christ, and then a couple who were caring for three orphans and the husband’s little sister, as well as their own little boy. They were so ready to receive the Gospel; you could just see when the light of understanding came into their eyes and they knew they could have salvation as a gift rather than through good works.

Just before leaving we prayed for healing for Joan Tyson.  Bob and Joan Tyson started the Good Samaritan Baptist Missions 40 years ago.  Joan has had a very difficult time with her heath right before our team arrived.

 We believe that God blessed this mission trip to Honduras because of your support in prayer.  The hearts of the people of Honduras are very receptive to the presentation of the Gospel.  When they hear a clear presentation of the Gospel they tearfully are convicted of their sin and very sincere in their prayers to receive Jesus Christ.

There are many more amazing examples of God's grace. Someday in Heaven we’ll be allowed to know the stories of all those people who received Christ as a result of that trip. I look forward to that with great anticipation. Each of you who prayed for us has a large part in that harvest, because it never would have taken place without your prayers. May God bless you with great joy and abundant blessings.

In Him, Paula and Steve.